21 Things I Want In a Lover
by Princess Alexandria
Summary: There are many people you meet in passing, like the person next to you on the plane. Kate finds herself seated next to a very interesting woman with white hair, a woman she ends up sharing a vacation fling with that opens her eyes. femslash, OroroOC
1. Chapter 1

21 Things I Want In a Lover

By Princess Alexandria

Kate had her notebook out and was checking off the items she had laid out on her bed. Six pair of socks, and with the pair she'd have on her feet that would be seven. Six pair of underwear, jeans, which could take care of a few days as long as she didn't drop anything on them, a pair of black slacks that went with everything, Kate checked them off and turned to stare at her closet to pick out the other two pair of pants she'd need. A different black pair that would go well with her chosen shirts was added to the pile and a brown that went with half of the shirts.

"You have a checklist for a vacation?" A voice spoke from the doorway and Kate looked up from her shirts while checking off the warm longsleeved one for layering, the short sleeved, and the tshirt. "You could just buy something if you forget it."

"I will buy something, I plan to buy a NYPD shirt." Kate had until tomorrow to be packed, but if she did it now she could go out and buy something if it was missing. "You sure you can't come? I have Danny's ticket to the plays and the hotel room has two beds. You'd just need airfare." Kate gave Sydney a hopeful look, but it was useless. Syd had to request time off weeks in advance at her work.

"I can't believe he backed out on you." Syd shook her head and Kate pulled her notepad to her chest with a grimace. "I'm also surprised that you'd go alone."

"Well the tickets were not refundable." Kate glanced at the bed to check that she'd remembered to pack them. "I spent a few hundred dollars setting this up, and he gave me his tickets when I told him I was still going." Kate still felt disappointed in her brother doing this, it was supposed to be a fun thing they could do together, and just like any other time they had plans, something came up. She was really starting to not care anymore, which she knew was worse than being upset. He'd let her down too many times. She wasn't going to wait, lose her play tickets or sell them on his promise that they'd do it sometime soon. Soon never came.

"I wish I could go. I really want to see a Broadway play." Syd sighed and moved to step into Kate's room. When she sat on the bed Kate resisted the urge to tell her to move, because Kate really couldn't work with the only free spot on her bed covered by Syd. "You really need to relax, do something wild out there. You're always so uptight, you need this." Kate glared at Syd a little as she put her pad down and picked up the pants she'd already picked out to put them in the opened luggage to make space for her to put other necessities on the bed. "Go to some artistic bar and pick someone up." Syd grinned at her as if it were funny.

"I need to pack." Kate tried to dismiss Syd so she could work, and so they didn't start another irritating conversation about how Kate needed to get some. Her roommate was practically obsessed with the idea that Kate couldn't possibly be happy being single.

……………………..

The next day, after all packing was complete and Kate was ready she found out the flight was running late. Kate noticed that as soon as she logged on to check on it in the morning and sighed. Her bags were packed and by the door and her ride could only take her now, so she'd be waiting around for that flight. Oh well, she logged off and moved to grab an extra book to read and her notepad. She could fill her time if she had to.

Syd dropped her off and sped off, on her way to work, leaving Kate on the sidewalk of the SeaTac airport. As Kate was carrying her bags into the building she noticed the long lines and was glad she'd already checked in. She walked past them and towards security, but she did notice a tall black woman with white hair talking to the person at the counter and stared a moment. Now that woman was beautiful, Kate pulled her eyes away and continued on her way. Distractedly she wondered how much bleach it would take to make hair that type of white, or if it was a wig.

Her Ipod in her ears Kate sat down at the airport restaurant table and pulled out her notepad. Her pencil tapped on the side of it as she considered what to write. She glanced at old lists, one of the top ten places she wanted to visit before she died. New York was number eight. Kate put a check mark next to it with a small smile and moved to the next page.

"Can I get you anything?" The waitress asked and Kate pulled the earplugs out to order lunch. Once that was done Kate lowered the volume on her Ipod and started to look through her notepad again. A song from Alanis started and Kate grinned as she heard it, remembering Sydney telling her that Alanis must be Kate's soulmate, to make a list about a potential lover like that. Kate didn't volunteer that she had made a list about her future lover as well. While Alanis sang about the 21 things she wanted in a lover Kate found a new empty page and grinned as she tapped her pencil against her lip. What would be her 21 things she wanted? That should keep her amused for a little while. Her original list only had fifteen things on it, and she hadn't updated it in a few months. She turned to the page with that list on it and studied it for a while, evaluating what still applied and what she wanted to add.

While nibbling on French fries, Kate pondered her list. She knew what she wanted, she had to, she just needed to pull it out of her mind and onto the paper. As she ate with one hand she wrote with the other, and when her meal was done she continued while the waitress took her plate away.

**someone intelligent**

**someone sensitive**

**someone in a safe career so I don't have to worry about them too much**

**someone I feel attracted to physically and emotionally**

**someone not shorter than me**

**someone with goals, not a slacker, willing to work for what they want**

**someone strong, confident, a little dominating at the right moments**

**someone opened minded, not prejudiced, homophobic or racist, not prone to irrational hate**

**someone with a sexy voice**

**someone that is not flighty, can make decisions, and knows how to follow through with them. Is not timid in the wrong moments**

**someone with sexy eyes**

**someone that likes to spend time with me even if they say nothing, and that it feels just as comfortable as talking. Someone that does more than just say they want to spend time together, but will rearrange things so that we can be together.**

**someone with their own life, so that they are there for me but not clingy. They have their own responsibilities, goals, and they make time for her within those. Someone who won't complain if I have to work late, want time to myself, or need to visit my parents for the weekend.**

**someone with friends that like me and that I like. People that I can hang out with comfortably, and won't feel nervous if they go out without me. I can trust them not to do things that would hurt the relationship when I'm not around.**

**someone with a nice laugh, that can joke and also knows when to be serious.**

**someone without unhealthy addictions, no smokers, no drugs, no dangerous addictions to danger etc.**

**someone willing to stand up for what they believe in, and those beliefs shouldn't be Republican, Religious Right, or any of the other causes that I not only don't support, but hate.**

**someone just as strong physically as they are emotionally and in their convictions**

**someone that likes the soft rain, and to listen to it on quiet Sundays while reading the newspaper and talking about hopes for the future**

**someone who isn't put off by my virginity, even at my age, and won't treat me like a freak, a child, or a toy, but will gently at times teach me what I need to know, and at times not be too gentle.**

**someone… someone that is a woman.**

Kate finished her list nervously and looked up just to make sure no one was looking. As her eyes scanned the restaurant, she couldn't miss seeing that white hair facing the same way she did. She watched the woman for a moment and then drew her eyes away and looked at her watch. Well, not quite an hour, but the list was made and it was closer to time to go. Kate closed it, feeling less amused than she thought she'd be and more exposed.

"Oh, excuse me." A soft and sexy voice from the table in front of her drew Kate's eyes up to see blue smiling eyes glancing back at her. "My table doesn't have any ketchup." The woman said and Kate looked down at her own table and the bottle sitting there. Oh.

"Oh, here." Kate picked up the bottle and stood a little to hand it to the woman with a small smile.

"Thank you." The woman smiled and then turned back to her own table. Kate found herself staring at the back of her head for a moment. Those were some pretty eyes. Kate shook her head and pulled her book out to try and read for a little while. She found herself staring blankly at the page as she instead imagined all the cool things she could have said to the woman to start a conversation and hadn't. Kate sighed unhappily at her lack of courage and tried to focus on her book.

"Wicked?" That smooth voice spoke again and Kate looked up to see a small grin on the woman's face as she held out the ketchup bottle to her.

"I'm going to see the play. I thought I should read the book." Kate took the ketchup and put it back on her table. She almost left it at that, but she forced herself to talk more. "It's about the Wicked witch of the West, before the Wizard of Oz."

"I've heard about it. I'm sure you'll love the play, my friend went and said it was wonderful." The woman spoke and Kate smiled at her while lowering the book to the table.

"I'm going to New York." It felt awkward and rather desperate of her trying to talk like this, but the woman didn't look irritated.

"So am I. I live there." Kate's eyebrow rose at that. This woman had an accent, but it wasn't New York. "I hope you enjoy your time there." It was clearly an end to the conversation, a polite one, but Kate could see the woman's meal and knew she needed to eat.

"I'm sure I will." Kate felt stupid, like she could have said something better in response, and once the woman wasn't looking at her it was easier to focus on the book. She didn't want to be caught looking up.

…………………

"We are now seating for flight 507 to New York." The voice over the intercom spoke and Kate was already in line to board. It took some effort to maneuver the narrow aisle, and to lift her larger bag high so she could stow it above her seat. The smaller bag would fit under the chair and Kate made sure her book and notebook were out before she pushed it under and buckled her seat belt.

She was the only person in the row and she wondered if she'd get lucky and her brother's returned ticket hadn't sold. Pulling out her book she started to read while she waited for others to board.

"Excuse me." The voice had Kate looking up from her book, and she saw that woman again, standing in the aisle and motioning to the window seat next to Kate. "Oh hi." She smiled as she clearly remembered Kate from the restaurant. "I believe that's my seat."

Kate quickly put her book on the aisle seat and tugged on her belt so she could get up. Part of her was a little stunned at her incredible luck, her brother's seat had sold. And this gorgeous woman had it. "Oh sure, no problem." She said as she moved into the aisle and to the side so that the woman could slip into their row. She had to look up to see the woman's appreciative nod to her getting out of the way. This woman was rather tall, at least five inches taller than Kate, and Kate wasn't really a short woman. She waited patiently for the woman to sit and then had to get in to avoid a small line of people heading her way to the back seats.

Rather than pick her book up again, Kate pulled her purse out and popped some gum in her mouth for her ears as the plane went up. "Gum?" She held the package out for the woman and noticed it earned her a small smile.

"No, I'm fine. I don't have problems with altitude."

Kate went quiet and picked up her book as they waited to take off, but she only read a few paragraphs before speaking again. "This is only my third flight ever, and I've never taken one so long." She admitted as she looked over and the woman turned away from the window to look at her. "Do you fly a lot?"

The woman grinned a little. "Yes, I do." The woman answered and she seemed a little amused. Still they were talking and Kate was impressed with herself for starting it. Now she just had to figure out how to keep it going.

Sure, nothing would come of this, but it was practice. Maybe someday she'd actually be able to talk to someone with some potential like this. "I'm Kate." She turned a little in her chair and held out her hand.

"Ororo." The woman responded and shook her hand briefly. Kate was about to say more but the voice over the intercom spoke, so she waited for the pilot to announce who was driving this plane and the airline attendants who gave the safety talk. She'd only seen it twice before in person but she could probably give it herself, it wasn't all that new.

"Somehow I think the placement of the sick bags is more important than the floatation seats." She murmured almost to herself but Ororo chuckled.

"Don't worry, we aren't going to run into very much turbulence." Ororo told her. "The weather should be smooth the entire way."

"I hope." Kate sighed and her fingers fidgeted with her book as her mind raced in an attempt to think of something to say. "So this was your vacation? Or were you working?"

Ororo grimaced just a little. "Seattle was just a brief stop after Japan." Kate's eyebrow rose, Japan was closer to Seattle than New York, and she had never been there herself, but something about Ororo said it hadn't been a pleasant trip so Kate knew that conversation starter was dead already. Well, maybe it could be saved, Kate thought during a slightly too long break in the discussion, as the plane started to back away from the airport.

"I could never really believe that people chose to vacation here. It doesn't seem that special, it's no New York or Los Angeles."

"I don't know, for the day and a half I was here I thought it had its own quiet charm." Ororo smiled just a little.

"The drizzle didn't run you off did it?" Kate smiled a little. "I swear it does stop once in a while."

"No, I like the rain. It's cleansing." Ororo smiled and Kate was once again struck by the unlikelihood of talking with a woman this stunning. "Drizzle?"

"We are a people with many words for rain." Kate grinned, starting to feel like she was getting the hang of this. "Downpour, drizzle, sprinkle, misting, the list goes on."

"I see." Ororo's smile was rather attractive, Kate had to work at not staring. "That doesn't really work with your claim that it stops once in a while."

"Yeah, well it is fall. That's not a fair sampling. Our summers are rather nice." Kate sighed. "But I actually like the rain. My roommate thinks I'm crazy to, but the sound of it gently falling while I sit and read is soothing."

"Nature at its finest." Ororo agreed and Kate looked to see if she was being teased, but the woman looked sincere. "I like to walk in the rain at times as well, to listen to it feed the earth, and the how the trees capture the raindrops."

"Maybe you should move here." Kate's smile became a little tense as the plane started to gain speed, and her hand gripped her book more tightly.

"I find I have no shortage of rain wherever I go. Seattle doesn't own it, no matter what they claim." Ororo's voice held a little more passion than the topic warranted and Kate found herself gripping the other arm of the chair, glad that both seats near her hadn't sold as the plane started going up. "Flying really is safer than most forms of public transportation." Ororo added quietly.

"Oh, I'll be fine once we're actually up. The taking off and landing always makes me nervous." Kate admitted, trying to stop the concerned look in Ororo's eyes. She heard a child starting to cry and grimaced. Her voice was softer. "I can't imagine taking someone that young on a plane. That has to be hell."

"Yes, I imagine it would be." Ororo spoke and Kate nodded. "There is one airport in California where the plane goes up much more sharply, and everything is still fine." Ororo spoke softly, her voice was soothing and beautiful. It actually helped.

"So you fly all the time do you?" Kate forced herself to relax and focused partly on chewing her gum, knowing she'd be practically deaf if she didn't get her ears to pop, and she really didn't want to struggle with that for hours.

"Work takes me around the world." Ororo spoke and then glanced out the window for a moment. "There is always someplace that needs me." She muttered and it sounded weary. Someone needed a new job.

"So what do you do?" Airplane conversations were a little strange, but Kate had heard of other people doing this cross between a date and an interview type of discussions before, so it wouldn't seem too prying, she hoped.

"A little of this and a little of that." Ororo dodged with a small smile. It was message enough. "And you?"

"Whatever this or that you forgot." Kate teased, but her mind went to why someone wouldn't tell. Criminal was the first thought she had, and her heart sunk a little, but perhaps the woman had an embarrassing career, or perhaps she was a model and didn't want the endless questions people probably asked when a beautiful woman admitted to being a model. It seemed more likely that Ororo was a model or maybe an actress, maybe that's why she seemed familiar. Kate relaxed and spoke again. "I work for Starbucks, in payroll." She always added that last bit, because most people assumed that she worked in a store if she said Starbucks alone, and Kate couldn't really make lattes, or discuss them intelligently. Caffeine made her way too jittery, she didn't even drink the free stuff they had around the office.

"Ah, the new owners of America." Ororo teased and Kate blushed a little at the almost flirtatious tone.

"Well, they very well might be but I'm just a mere cog in the machine of corporate America." Kate shrugged a little and was a little distracted by her ears popping, everything became very loud for a moment before they popped again. Kate shook her jaw back and forth to try and even it out. "Last time I flew it took me an hour or two after landing before I could hear okay."

"Air pressure getting to you?" Ororo asked and after a moment Kate's ears righted themselves.

"I'm okay now. Sorry." Kate moved to put her book on the empty seat while still focusing on the conversation.

"It's okay, we were talking about your role in the take over of America." Ororo teased. "A minion I believe you said."

"Yes, I am a minion in the coffee pushers evil empire." Kate rolled her eyes and glanced out at the now sunny day, they were above the clouds. "It's really pretty up here."

"I always thought so." Ororo agreed they talked a little longer before the stewardess came by with drinks, and that slowly brought the talking to an end, as Ororo pulled out a magazine and Kate pulled her book out to read.

Kate glanced up when her book got to the start of another chapter and looked out the window. The clouds looked soft and tangible. After staring out at them and fantasizing about laying down on one, and imagining how soft it would be if it felt like it looked, Kate glanced at the magazine in Ororo's hands. Sandra Bullock graced the page. Kate looked a little harder, and noticed a few other actors. This was an old magazine. The movie Crash had come and gone at the theaters.

"I missed the movie when it was out." Ororo spoke and Kate looked up, realizing she'd been caught reading Ororo's magazine. "I hear it was very good."

"Yes it was. They dealt with race very well, it was uncomfortable as hell to watch, but when I walked away I really had to think about it." Kate answered. "And I never would have guessed it, but Sandra Bullock looks downright scary when she yells. I sure wouldn't cross her."

"And she looks like such a nice girl." Ororo teased as she glanced at the picture. Kate almost asked why Ororo was just now reading that magazine, knowing it had to be old, but she left it be.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that movie won a few awards. All the actors were amazing." Kate shook her head. "If only everyone was forced to watch it, some movies should just be mandatory."

"Well, then I will have to make an effort to rent it." Ororo responded and moved the magazine a little closer to Kate. "I tend to miss many of the good movies, so the Blockbuster employees know me."

"Shame, some movies are better on a large screen." Kate gave a little sympathy, but she spent more time wondering why Ororo would miss something that was out for weeks if she really wanted to see it. "Oh, look, I had no idea she'd even had a baby." Kate pointed out another article. She never read magazines that much so even old this magazine had news for her too. "Or that she was even dating."

"That man next to her is her husband." Ororo offered while reading the smaller print and Kate relaxed and smiled as they slowly started to go through the pictures and stories together. The flight was the best one she'd ever had and Kate talked with Ororo about music, movies, actors and actresses for over an hour, before the magazine was finished and it left little to keep the discussion going. Kate hadn't read enough of her book to talk about it and a book just didn't lend itself to sharing as well.

Ororo leaned back and closed her eyes after a long silence between them and Kate sighed as she pulled her book out to read some more of it.

Ororo seemed to doze until the flight attendants went through the last minute prep for descent, which woke her up. "I have a two hour wait for my next flight." Kate looked over at the woman, "Do you have time for lunch?" Kate smiled.

"I have a two hour wait too." Kate replied, strongly suspecting they had the same flight out of Chicago as well.

As the passengers were slowly filing out of the plane Kate stood up and started to struggle with her stowed luggage, and a strong hand moved to grab the handle from her as Ororo pulled it out with ease and set it down for her. Kate blushed a little. "Thanks."

……………..

"I need to call home." Ororo spoke as they stared at the on time message next to their flight number. "My friends don't realize I'm coming back today." She explained and Kate nodded as she wondered how a flight she was taking managed to be on time.

Once Ororo stepped away to find one of those strange cell phone booths Kate turned her attention to the shop. "Well, they probably cost twice the going rate." She muttered as she moved to wheel her carry on with her to glance at magazines. They'd worked well to give them something to talk about before.

Of course, Ororo may not have the seat next to Kate this time around, Kate thought with a little disappointment. She hadn't asked, not wanting to seem strange, but it would be nice. This had been the best flight she'd ever had and it was all because of the company.

People, Entertainment Weekly, Kate read over the titles available and looked at the covers for ideas of what to get. She picked one up and quickly flipped through it to see if it looked interesting.

She paid for two just as she spotted Ororo standing out near the monitors glancing around. "Thanks." Kate smiled just a little at the cashier and then stepped out of the shop with her purchases. "Ororo." Her voice rose a little and Ororo turned to face her with a small smile.

"There you are. I was starting to think you had a better offer." Ororo teased and Kate did her best to not say something stupid and make it too obvious that she was a bit attracted to the woman. They started off in a direction looking for food without Kate responding to the comment.

In ten minutes they were seated waiting for a waitress to notice them in a rather decent airport bar. The television was on, and as in most bars it was more than loud enough to hear. "Mutants are American's too, we pay our taxes and we grew up here, vote here…" A redheaded woman spoke out against some politician and Kate sighed as she saw the hostile looks the other politicians aimed at her.

When she turned to face Ororo, she noticed the woman was watching the news clip carefully and Kate couldn't tell what Ororo was thinking from the expression on her face. She could tell Ororo wasn't pleased. Kate nibbled on her lip and started to play with the menu, appearing to second guess her order as she waited for the waitress, but what she wanted to do was bring the topic of mutants up.

Kate looked up at the television again. "She's really taking her life into her hands." Kate spoke quietly, while watching the redhead on the television.

"She certainly is." Ororo turned back as the news clip ended and looked into Kate's eyes again. "But if no one speaks up, what type of life is it?"

"True." Kate hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about it, but she knew she was uncomfortable with some of the policies against mutants she'd heard about. Lesbians weren't loved by America either, so it made her wonder who was next on the hit list, if once the government got away with what they were doing to mutants they'd go after other groups. Kate may be in the closet now, but she didn't want to always be.

"I'm paying, I invited you." Ororo said gently as the waitress stepped up, giving Kate no time to object. It felt strange letting someone else pay for her. "Perhaps a glass of wine will make the next takeoff easier on you." Ororo teased as she turned to the waitress.

Kate felt a strange warm feeling watching Ororo order two glasses of wine, and her own meal before turning to Kate to indicate Kate should order her meal. Kate had mentioned off hand while looking at the menu earlier that the wine was overpriced, so Ororo was just giving her what she thought she wanted. It was rather sweet.

Kate ordered her meal and then just muttered a quiet thank you to Ororo after the waitress left.

"I bought more magazines," Kate spoke up, before even remembering that they weren't actually traveling together.

"Oh, well if we ask, perhaps we can get seats together so we can read them." Ororo said just the right thing, something Kate hadn't even thought about. They could change seats. Kate smiled, seeing that she wasn't being a pest and that Ororo wanted to spend a bit more time with her.

Ororo managed somehow to do it too, so they sat down next to each other in the middle of the plane, Kate once again in the middle, but this time they weren't lucky enough to not have a third person with them. A thirty-something man took the aisle seat. At least he was more interested in his ipod and book than them. Kate glanced at Ororo again and shook her head subtly as she looked away. He must be gay, gay or dead to not even look at the woman.

Kate grinned a little at that thought and pulled her gum out to get ready for take off. She didn't pull the magazine out until they were airborne, but she found she was less nervous during this takeoff. Maybe she was getting better at this.

They were about halfway through the magazine and Kate was laughing a little about a comment Ororo made about Brad Pitt, when Kate turned the page and she could see Ororo tense before Kate looked down. "Is that you?" Kate asked quietly after staring a moment at a picture that showed a black woman with white hair, but from far enough away there could be some doubt. Well, there would have been if white hair was common. Silence answered her and Kate looked at the heading,

Kate could see her own arms shake a little, because she held the magazine. The article was about dangerous mutants destroying a building. Kate stared at it trying to think fast, to come up with something to say. When she looked up she could see a resigned and slightly nervous expression on Ororo's face. Kate just stared at her a moment, the words she'd seen in the title, and the first few lines rang in her head as she stared.

"Not everything you see in magazines are true." Ororo spoke very quietly and when the man next to Kate shifted in his seat Kate quickly turned the page, to keep him from seeing it.

Kate's voice was tense, even as she tried to not sound it. "I never met a model before." She said, completely to keep the man from figuring out what was being talked about.

Ororo reached out to rest a hand on Kate's arm and Kate flinched a little. Ororo pulled away at that. "No, I'm just jumpy." Kate gave the woman an apologetic look. "Flying." Kate said while staring into Ororo's eyes.

"You'll be okay. You're perfectly safe." Ororo stared back as they had their coded conversation.

"Good." Kate forced her heart to calm down and now that reality was starting to reassert itself, Kate felt embarrassed about her reaction. She believed mutants were getting a raw deal, so why did she panic like that? She had spent hours with Ororo and knew the woman was good, regardless of what the magazine said. "This is a stupid rag." She muttered about the magazine and tossed it back into her bag, pulling out the other one. "Maybe this one isn't so stupid." She felt like an idiot for her words, but she sat back and stared at Ororo for a brief moment, reaching out to gently rest a hand on her arm. "So how many times do you think they'll talk about Brittany Spears in this one?"

Ororo smiled and seemed to relax. "Let's find out."

Kate wanted to ask questions, but any hint that Ororo was a mutant here would put the woman in danger. Kate's heartbeat didn't calm quickly as she found herself distracted and obsessed with how much the other people could hear them talk. They talked for just a little while, before Kate excused herself to go to the bathroom. She didn't really need to go, she just needed a moment alone.

Once she was in the tiny bathroom Kate stared at herself in the mirror. "Well, it wasn't like this was going anywhere." She muttered quietly to herself. Even as she said it, her mind went back to her list and how well Ororo would have fit so far, if it weren't for the mutant thing. Kate hadn't said no mutants, hadn't thought it was likely she'd ever meet one, but mutants were worse than police for being in danger. Hell that article looked like Ororo could have been killed easily that day. "I didn't lose anything I really had." She muttered again, thinking of her own fantasies about Ororo being willing to show her around New York. The fantasies she'd had about the woman being her travel partner so that Kate wasn't alone, and the fantasies about how much fun they'd have. In the brief moments where Kate had a chance to think she'd fantasized a bit more.

"She's really nice." Kate turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face. She was becoming disappointed in herself for thinking of pulling away now that she knew. With a heavy sigh she left the relative privacy and made her way back to her seat. She found she was disappointed to find Ororo just staring out the window, as if they hadn't been talking, as if she were just another stranger on the plane.

She sat quietly for a moment giving Ororo the silence she seemed to want, but every moment that went by felt wrong. Kate started to fidget as she considered that she needed to be the one to end it, and that Ororo might be worried. "I," Kate sighed and looked over at the beautiful woman, relaxing as Ororo looked at her. "My brother was supposed to come with me. One of those bonding trips that he always manages to cancel at the last minute for work." Kate reached out to gently touch Ororo's arm, not something she did to other people normally, but she wanted Ororo to know she didn't object to touch, wasn't too scared or prejudiced for it. "I have his ticket to Wicked. I didn't think I'd find anyone to offer it to, but," Kate glanced down. "Would you like to come with me?" She waited and the silence was a little too long, making her feel like a fool.

"When is it?" Ororo asked and Kate looked back up into amused eyes. Kate managed to erase the tension from Ororo's face.

"Thursday." Kate answered a little quickly.

"That sounds lovely. Shall we go out to dinner first?" Ororo expanded their evening and Kate once again felt that warm feeling. She liked spending time with Ororo, and she really liked that it was mutual.

"That would be good. I have no idea where to go or what to do in New York. I have a list of things I want to do, but finding a good restaurant may be beyond me." Kate smiled and shifted in her seat to face Ororo as much as possible in those seats, which wasn't much.

"Can I see your list?" Ororo asked and Kate took three seconds imagining Ororo offering to walk her to Central Park, just to make sure Kate was safe, or going with her to see the statue of liberty. She reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook, flipping through it quickly to find the list.

"I didn't think I could do all of this, I was going to see what I wanted to do as I went, and maybe ask the locals what was good." Kate said as she handed over the notebook, opened to the right page. She'd been working on that list up until the night before the flight.

"And I'm a local, it's your lucky day." Ororo teased while taking the notebook and then went quiet as she started to read it.

Kate felt a wave of heat as she remembered that Greenwich village was on the list, along with a lesbian bar. Kate looked away and resisted the urge to take it back as she waited for Ororo to read this. Her nervousness was clear in her body, even she knew it, and Kate wondered if Ororo had felt like this when Kate found the article about her, or if it was even worse.

"This sounds good." Ororo spoke up and Kate looked over to see a gentle smile. "Perhaps, if nothing comes up at work." Ororo said work, but Kate could see the message in her eyes that said mutant business, "perhaps I could come to your hotel earlier on Thursday and we could make a day of some of this."

"That would be great." Kate smiled big.

"What hotel?" Ororo asked and Kate blinked a little, as she realized that Ororo was making sure to have all the details. Kate told her, while pulling her notebook to her and writing it down as well. She wrote down her cell phone, full name, and the day she was leaving for home, and gave that page to Ororo.

"Perhaps after the play we could have a drink at that bar you mentioned." Ororo's smile was a little mischievous. "I'll ask around and find out where the best one is. I like to dance."

Kate went quiet for a moment, as the fact that she'd written the bar down was brought up and then she sighed. Perhaps it was vacation courage that let her ask. "If I'd asked for a date?"

"Didn't you?" Ororo smiled and Kate blushed as she got her answer. Her mind went to the list, and the ways Ororo fit and didn't fit. She thought about how little time she really had and she smiled as she decided none of it mattered. Ororo was fun, and Kate needed fun. Maybe Ororo could help with a few other things Kate needed. That fantasy made her blush more and Ororo's smile was a little wicked in return.


	2. Chapter 2

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21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 2

By Princess Alexandria

"Did you hear?" Ororo stared at Jean's mischievous smile as the woman turned to speak to Rogue. "Ororo managed to pick up a date to the theater on the plane."

"Well," Rogue grinned at her and Ororo sighed heavily and pretended irritation. "Ah'd say that's amazing, if it weren't for the fact that Ororo manages to pick up villains on every mission."

"Yes, they all fall in love with her don't they?" Jean teased and Ororo shook her head at the joke. It was getting a little old, and after that last mission and the woman that had her captive, Ororo wasn't really as amused by her ability to attract villains as the others.

"She's taking me to Wicked." Ororo interrupted and noticed that Rogue choked on her pepsi.

"She? Darlin' I didn't realize you played for mah mama's team." Rogue wiped at her face with a towel and Ororo just smirked at having gotten the southerner back.

"Ororo plays for both teams." Jean added with a grin. It was something they'd talked about before, but it wasn't public knowledge.

"Bisexual Goddess, and Villian magnet." Rogue shook her head and winked at her. "So is this new woman a supervillian you met in Japan?"

"Perhaps an alien?" Jean added.

"A clone?" Rogue played on.

"an evil alternate dimension ruler?" Another voice added and Ororo turned to see Betsy's evil grin as she joined the game.

"She works in payroll at Starbucks." Ororo finally interrupted them before it got worse. "She's human and I'm the first mutant she's ever met."

"She knows?" Jean's amusement faded as she asked that and Ororo sat back in the kitchen chair while three women stared at her.

"Well with your face on the television in the airport, and then mine in the magazine she was reading, it was a little hard for the topic of mutants to not come up." Ororo stared at Jean.

"And how does she feel about that?" Jean asked seriously.

"She was scared." Ororo glanced at Betsy and Rogue, who were moving to sit at the table with them. "I really thought it was going to become a huge mess, but even afraid she covered for me and didn't say anything that would cause a panic."

"Are yah sure you do have a date?" Rogue asked softly, and Ororo sighed.

"Yes, she asked me out after her small panic attack." Ororo had hated sitting there, knowing her mere presence was scaring the woman. Kate's asking for a date after that had been a real surprise.

"You want backup in case it's a trap?" Jean asked and Ororo smiled just a little.

"I won't need it. Kate is just ignorant of mutants, not bigoted." Ororo spoke while pulling her own drink closer to her.

"Well, now she's a human magnet and a villain magnet." Betsy seemed to wave off the tension in the air. "So tell us, are you dating her just to broaden her horizons or is this Kate hot?"

Jean chuckled and Ororo rolled her eyes, wondering why she told these women anything of her personal life.

"She's attractive, and innocent in a way the bimbos around here aren't." Ororo said before taking a sip.

"Oh, I think I feel insulted." Betsy teased back.

……………………

"Extra tall latte please." Kate ordered at the Starbucks in the hotel lobby. East coast time was getting to her a little and she decided to pay for what she normally could have gotten for free and didn't want, because she wanted to be alert for her day with Ororo.

As Kate looked at the manager's nametag she grinned. "Tommy, did you get the new employees W-2's into the office before you put her on the register?" Kate watched his cautious expression for a moment, as he wondered about her and Kate smiled just a little. "I'm on vacation. It's nice to finally see someone I work with, I'm Kate Hughes, from payroll." She ran this east coast division's payroll.

"Kate?" He grinned at her. "Don't ring her up." He told the cashier before the woman started to. "She's Payroll Kate."

"Ah, thanks." Kate took her latte and smiled at him. "I'm staying here for a week."

"That's great. Maybe we can talk one of these days." Tommy smiled at her. The line was long, so Kate didn't try to chat, she just took her drink and moved to a free table near the window.

Kate stared out at the walking masses past the window and marveled at how many people walked in New York. Her eye trailed over hair in the distance, looking for the familiar white of her about to be first date. Ororo had called this morning to confirm that nothing had happened to get in the way of today and that she'd be by meet her for lunch and they'd plan their day.

Kate sat and watched the people while drinking for a while and she started to find herself looking for evidence of mutants as she did that. Did that woman in the black coat and hat have pointed ears? Did that blonde man in no coat whatsoever even feel the cold? Was Ororo really the first mutant Kate ever met, she wondered, knowing that now she could tell the white hair was part of Ororo's mutation, but she'd ignored it before. How many other people had she just assumed were human were actually mutant?

"Deep in thought?" A soft voice startled her and Kate looked up and started to smile as she recognized the woman she'd been looking for had managed to get into the hotel without passing this window.

"You want a latte or something, or should we just head out?" Kate asked, while playing with her nearly empty cup. She'd prefer to leave, the hotel held little mystery to her, and she wanted to be able to act like this was a date, but didn't feel free to do that with a co-worker that knew her looking on.

Kate shouldn't have bothered introducing herself to Tommy, but it made her feel more at home knowing people.

"Let's go. I rarely drink your drug of choice." Ororo smiled a little and Kate liked that smile, it was part knowing, and flirtatious. Women never looked at her like that, and it was nice.

As they walked along those crazy busy sidewalks, and avoided cars that seemed to be everywhere, Ororo asked, "So what did you do yesterday?"

"Well, I slept in." Kate grimaced, disappointed in herself.

"Jetlag will do that." Ororo held out a hand to keep Kate from stepping onto the next street, as some cab ran a red light. Once he'd passed they continued on their way.

"And it's earlier here." Kate added, but she was distracted by how nice it was to have Ororo looking out for her like that. It made Kate think maybe she was a little more girly than she'd thought, because having a woman do things like that felt good. "Then I took a walk to Times Square and looked around. I hit a museum and just got used to the walking around they do here."

"Did you eat at Julianna's?" Ororo asked, "Because that's where we're going to have lunch."

"No, but I did see it." Kate couldn't even tell where she'd seen it. The streets all looked alike to her.

When they got there Ororo held the door opened for her, and it wasn't even a conscious thing. Ororo didn't seem to even notice she did it, but Kate sure did. Her words halted for a moment, before Kate managed to act like normal and asked about the restaurant.

"So, tell me about you." Ororo after they'd ordered their meal and Kate just stared at her, suddenly very nervous. "What do you do for fun? I know you read when it's raining, you like movies, and that you work at Starbucks."

"Oh, well." Kate suddenly felt like the least interesting woman in the world, as she struggled for something good to say. "I work a lot, so I don't really…" Kate sighed and her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "I don't really do all that much." There was silence and Kate envisioned a painful and awkward day where Ororo would be grateful to get rid of her at the end. She had to think of something to say, and Kate struggled with it. "I like to read fantasy books, ones with vampires and werewolves, and strong female characters. I collect Laurell Hamilton books because they definitely fit, but I also collect Piers Anthony books because I started that in high school and even though I feel like all his books are the same now, I still buy them." Kate thought it was a shame she didn't have any exciting hobbies. "I go to the movies, usually by myself, after work on Fridays to avoid the traffic home." And that made her sound pathetic, Kate thought with disgust. "I like walking in the city, but I could never live in one. I need the trees, and the animals, the sound of traffic isn't very soothing."

"I tend to read trashy romance or crime novels." Ororo said and Kate started to feel a little better as she listened to who Ororo liked to read and why. Kate had never heard of the authors, but at least her own talk about books wasn't too boring in comparison. "There is a shelf of books in the mansion where we all put the romance novels we thought were really good and we share them."

"Mansion?" Kate asked, confused. Ororo talked about a mansion so matter of factly, but Kate was sure she would have remembered hearing about it before.


	3. Chapter 3

……………………..

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 3

By Princess Alexandria

"I guess I haven't mentioned that yet." Ororo spoke and there was a small hint of a smile, but Kate noticed the woman looked around at the others in the restaurant. "There is a wealthy man that supports the same causes that I do." Kate translated that to mutant causes in her mind and just nodded. "Several of us live with him and work for him."

Kate frowned a little, worried that there was more to working for this older man than what she'd seen in the magazine. Ororo's clear and musical laughter brought Kate's eyes back to the woman. "No, he isn't a dirty old man." Ororo grinned at her and Kate blushed at her concern being so easy to read.

"Well, you can't blame me for thinking he might be." Kate muttered, still embarrassed, but she grinned. "Is everyone in his harem as gorgeous as you are?" It felt natural to say it, but as soon as the flirtatious words left her mouth Kate tensed, worried that it was too corny or too pushy.

Ororo laughed again and Kate found she really liked the sound of Ororo laughing. "I'll be sure to tell them you called them a harem. I'll bet Logan will love to know he's joined a harem." Kate smiled, but she felt a little lost, not knowing who this Logan was. Apparently he was someone that made Kate's comment especially funny.

Ororo seemed to calm down and her smile was more fond, and it made Kate feel special to receive it. "It started out as a school to help us learn to use our abilities. There were just a few of us. Now all of us older students either teach there or do other work." Kate again thought of the magazine and was betting Ororo wasn't a teacher. It was a shame, because teaching was a safer job. "And there are now more students than ever before, but I still just call it the mansion, even though it's more of a school complex now."

"I'll bet it makes my college seem boring." Kate spoke, trying to find something in common in their lives. She didn't think University was a good comparison though.

"Where did you go to college?" Ororo asked and even though by now it was extremely clear that Ororo had the more interesting life, Kate felt like Ororo really was interested.

"University of Oregon." Kate grinned a little, thinking Ororo would appreciate the next part. "Our mascot was the duck."

"Perfect for a woman that loves the rain." Ororo spoke so gently and Kate felt the soft touch to her hand that made it clear this wasn't two friends going out for a day, something she had done with friends. No, that soft touch to her hand that lingered made Kate nervous and excited, because it was clearly datelike.

Kate took as subtle a deep breath as she could and tried to continue the conversation about school. While she thought of what to say she stared at Ororo's hands, and thought they were attractive as well, tapered fingers, and feminine. This woman was a fighter, but every part of her that Kate saw looked more like a model.

"I majored in business and minored in dance." Kate watched Ororo's eyes widen a little and the small growing grin as Kate admitted that.

"Dance?" Ororo's voice was pitched a little lower with that half a question. Kate smiled. Most people were surprised a Business major picked that minor, but Kate had loved to dance and it wasn't yet more essays for her to do. Dance also gave her something to do with her time, practice was time consuming. Now she rarely danced anywhere but in her living room. "I am really looking forward to this evening then. You'll have to show me what you can do." That almost sounded seductive and Kate blushed at that thought.

"I'm a little rusty." Kate admitted quietly. She could club dance, but that wasn't really the type of dance she'd learned in school.

The waiter was back with their drinks and Kate nodded to him, but he was gone quickly and Ororo picked up the conversation quickly. "Oh I'm sure you'll be just fine. I love to go dancing, but I don't get to go as often as I'd like." Kate decided that she'd do her best to make sure Ororo had fun then.

"So what did you study in school?" Kate asked, consciously thinking of keeping the conversation going. While she did want to know more about Ororo, she just wasn't practiced in this sort of talking and it felt awkward to her. It was a special type of communication that came with dating, a level of trying to share that she just didn't do anywhere else.

It had felt more comfortable talking to Ororo on the plane, Kate thought as she watched Ororo seem to think about the question. They could talk comfortably, they had before. Kate struggled with what was wrong and realized it was all in her head. Ororo didn't seem different, but Kate was busy analyzing everything, even how Ororo sat. Kate was going for perfect, and maybe she just needed to focus on fun.

"Well, other than the classes to work on my abilities, I did manage to get a Bachelors in English." Ororo spoke and Kate smiled.

"English?" Kate hadn't expected that, she wasn't sure what she'd expected, but somehow she thought English majors would be stuffier and talk about the great novels and not romance books they liked to read. "Tell me, did they have Romance Novels of the 20th Century as a class?"

Kate was a little surprised when her hand was lightly slapped, but Ororo grinned at her. "With our schedule we had to pick majors that we could do as correspondence courses. I didn't get to take the renowned Romance Novels 101"

"Oh, that's a shame." Kate teased. "I can just see the panting study groups now." She envisioned a pile of romance novels and several flushed women reading them and discussing the steamy sex scene.

"Yes, I was very disappointed to miss it." Ororo spoke flatly but the hint of a grin was reassuring that she was amused. Kate felt something that had been tense inside of her relax as she saw they could just talk like they had in the plane. "So since I missed the university experience, tell me, what crazy things did you do in college?"

Kate went quiet as she considered the question. She really hadn't gotten into a lot. "I went through a bit of a hippy chick phase, but I drew the line at becoming a vegetarian. I loved my hamburgers too much." Kate remembered the flowing flower child dresses she'd worn and the long hair that was now much shorter.

"Ah, and I became very fond of leather." Ororo spoke and Kate's eyes widened as she stared at Ororo, trying to imagine that. "After something that ruined my hair I just gave up and ended up with a Mohawk."

"Oh my god." Kate stared at Ororo's long flowing white hair, trying to imagine that. "That easily trumps my tie dye dress. I can't even imagine you with a Mohawk."

"Maybe I'll find a picture to prove it." Ororo sat back and that's how Kate realized the waiter was back with their meals. "Still, I can't see you as a flower child."

"It wasn't easy. I hung out with the dance and drama crowd and the business crowd. There really wasn't a way for me to fit in." Kate smiled just a little, but she did remember the tension that was always there. People from both crowds questioned her judgment. "Once I became a senior I had to retire my hippie clothes and buy more professional clothes. I was hired by Starbucks three months after graduating."

They moved part of their attention to eating lunch, but Kate found Ororo fascinating. They talked about college, as well as the idealism of youth. Kate could still see that Idealism alive in Ororo and the work she did, and it was a hopeful and hard work Ororo did. Kate really hoped that work would prove successful for them all, and was happy to know someone was doing something.

……………………………………


	4. Chapter 4

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 4

By Princess Alexandria

They left the restaurant and slowly started down the sidewalk. "So Central Park or Statue of Liberty?" Ororo asked as they stood on a street corner and Kate stared at the woman playing her tour guide for a moment, trying to figure out which one would be best with company.

"Central Park?" Kate offered, thinking of how confident Ororo walked and how she'd heard stories of crime in Central Park. She should probably not go there alone, because Kate was well aware that anyone should be able to tell she was a tourist. That could make her a target, but the idea of Central Park was great and she'd love to see it. Flying in, it had looked impressive from the air.

"Woman after my own heart." Ororo smiled and turned while taking Kate's hand, as they started to cross the street. Ororo let go halfway across, but Kate still walked beside her, her mind on the feel of a hand in her own. She couldn't say she'd walked around holding hands with anyone in a very long time, and that might have been her mother.

The subway was great, and Kate noticed how amused Ororo looked at her as Kate looked around. "I wish Seattle had this, it's a pain to get around without a car there." The other people on the subway looked tired and bored, so Kate could tell it was only fun because it was different.

"Here it's a pain to have a car in the city." Ororo shifted in the seat next to Kate and Kate was very aware of how their thighs were touching. Kate didn't move, just so that it continued, as her mind analyzed the nice warm feeling and the nervousness as well.

After a while of the slight rocking and stops of the subway, Kate felt Ororo's hand on her knee. "The next stop is ours." Ororo informed her and gently squeezed Kate's knee. Kate blushed when she looked up to see a teasing smile on Ororo's face, a sexy teasing smile that came with one more squeeze, before the subway slowed down, Once it stopped Ororo stood up and took Kate's hand to lead her out.

"You aren't used to holding hands are you?" Ororo asked as they made their way through the crowds and Kate blushed. "Do you mind? I just don't want to lose you in the crowds and I know you aren't used to them." Ororo's voice was softer and Kate was just even more impressed with the woman for asking.

"It's okay." Kate smiled shyly as they made it to the stairs leading up to the street, and her hand was squeezed gently. It was actually really okay, she thought, taking in the warm hands and glancing at how her hand looked in Ororo's. Ororo's hand was so very feminine, it gave Kate a bit of a thrill to see it in her own. Ororo's comment about the crowds might be true, but it wasn't like it wouldn't be incredibly easy to spot Ororo in a crowd, so Kate wondered if Ororo just liked leading her around.

They made it to the street and Kate glanced around to find the green of the park across from them. It was beautiful, full of trees and paths, with a man selling tshirts next to the path into it. That reminded her she wanted one.

It was a warm enough day, but when Kate looked up at the grey skies she wondered if Central Park was the right idea. "I hope it doesn't rain." She spoke and looked back down at Ororo.

Ororo smiled slyly, "I'm sure it won't." Then she teased, "I thought you liked the rain?"

They stood there, at the side of the sidewalk as Kate sighed. "Not today." She really didn't want their fun cut short today. She couldn't see walking around in the rain when she had plans for that night. She didn't want to have to return to the hotel to clean up, and she'd worked hard on her hair, harder than normal.

"You don't have to worry." Ororo leaned in, her voice quieter and closer. It gave Kate tingles when she felt Ororo's breath on her neck. "I control the weather, and I can keep it from raining."

Kate's eyes widened and Ororo's hand moved to her upper arm to hold her there as Kate turned to stare into Ororo's eyes. "Really?" She was stunned, her mind trying to grasp a power like that. "So you can stop rain?"

"I can do much more than that." Ororo answered, her eyes searching Kate's for something, but Kate just blinked and looked away, trying to think of what all that could do. Her back tensed and her eyes turned back to Ororo's her stunned expression clear. "Yes, I'm very powerful."

"I just thought you could fly." Kate admitted to having thought about it at all. When someone walked by closer, Kate tensed up and looked over at the park. "Well, good, no rain." She still felt awkward and intimidated at that moment, but she thought they really should move.

"Are you frightened?" Ororo's question was asked casually and Kate nibbled on her lower lip as she considered it.

"No, just," Her words trailed off. She glanced at Ororo and didn't want to make her feel bad. "Impressed." That earned her a small smile, so she kept to herself how ordinary and plain it made her feel, how intimidated and nervous.

Her mind thought of all the things that were considered part of the weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and wondered if Ororo really had that much power over nature, and if that made her a god.

And if she really was that powerful, what the hell was Ororo doing walking Central Park with a payroll clerk with no powers and a job many people had told her was boring? She liked her job just fine, but few people wanted to hear about it.

Kate stood a little taller as she told herself she was here now, and she'd just have to do the best she could. She honestly liked spending time with Ororo, and she was hoping Ororo was liking spending time with her. Ororo still had her hand after all, as she had put her arm out to make sure Kate didn't walk into traffic and then took it again. "Big City?" Ororo teased her about almost stepping into the road and Kate blushed. Her mind was too busy for walking it appeared.

"I want a souvenir tshirt, can we look?" Kate asked as they finally had the right of way and were walking toward the table full of mostly white tshirts.

"I'm sure you'll get more than a few souvenirs." Ororo spoke with a smile and Kate's hand was sadly let go once they'd crossed the street. They stood in front of the table and Kate frowned just a little at the shirts there.

"Looking for anything in particular? Lady Liberty?" Ororo pointed to a cartoon statue of liberty on one shirt, that looked far too blah for Kate.

"No," Kate spoke slowly, looking over the shirts, and then found a grey NYPD shirt. She picked it up, not completely happy with it, to study it. That got the vendors attention and she was there talking about a sale, and pointing at the other shirts. Kate managed to leave without a shirt, but she swore she'd have to fight her way out, and her guide, who was a superhero, just laughed at her when Kate gave her a mock irritated look. "Didn't feel inclined to save me?"

Ororo grinned. "Should I have rained on her tshirts? Left her to sell soggy goods?"

Somehow that made Kate smile. The image in her mind almost made her laugh. "I guess that wasn't really necessary."

They walked along the paths, and Kate found herself laughing more than normal as Ororo told stories about her friends. They seemed like they'd be a good group of people. They walked slowly and Kate was finding that they stopped often to talk, so it took a long time to make their way around the park.


	5. Chapter 5 & 6

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 5

By Princess Alexandria

"So why Wicked?" Ororo asked as they sat eating dinner right before the musical. Kate's slightly embarrassed look gave Ororo the idea this was going to be amusing. "You hadn't read the book, I remember that much."

Kate made a slight face, something between a smile and an embarrassed grimace. "I liked the poster." Ororo leaned forward, clearly waiting for more and Kate didn't disappoint her. "It was sexy."

Ororo grinned at her, "And what was so sexy about it?"

"The green woman, the wicked witch, her grin really was wicked." Kate blushed and spoke quietly. Ororo had to agree it was a nice poster, but she usually had to know a little something about a play if she were picking it.

"Like green women do you?" Ororo watched Kate squirm and her own grin grew wicked, which she noticed made Kate squirm a little more. "Maybe I should be introducing you to She Hulk."

Kate's blush faded a bit and Ororo watched a slight smile on the woman's face. "I'm perfectly happy with my date for the evening." That was sweet, the way Kate said that, Ororo thought as she watched the shy way Kate moved to take another bite of her mashed potatoes.

Ororo smiled before taking a sip of her wine, but her eyes stayed on Kate. The woman was gentle, and a bit shy, but she was also cute in both of those things. She was attractive, and so different from the women Ororo normally spent time with.

She was brave in her own way, considering what her life had been. Kate asking Ororo out had to have been hard for her, but she'd done it. She'd stood up to all her friends with her unconventional school subject combinations.

Ororo also found it a little more than interesting how Kate seemed to subtly aim for touch, a brushed thigh, a hand held a bit longer than normal. Kate wanted to be touched, and that proved that Kate wasn't too afraid of Ororo being a mutant.

"So have you gotten far in the book?" Ororo asked, referring to Kate's Wicked novel.

Kate made that adorable face again, that alone said no and she was embarrassed by that. "I should have started it sooner. I've been a bit too busy."

"I find I can only read books when I vacation on sunny beaches." Ororo said with a smile.

"Well, I'll try to remember that if I get to visit a sunny beach." Kate smiled just a little in response.

Dinner was much more enjoyable than lunch, because Kate was more comfortable now, and some of the fun they had on the plane was shining through. Ororo was almost sorry that it was time for the play, but Kate looked so excited to see a play she knew so little about. Betsy had told her it was wonderful though, so Ororo had high expectations.

Wicked was very well done, and the music and story were engaging. The only thing distracting Ororo was the constant smile on Kate's face as she watched, or the occasional happy glances the woman gave her. Ororo was very happy she'd agreed to go and share this with Kate.

After the show, when they'd managed to work through the crowds to the point they could stop walking on the sidewalk, Ororo spoke. "I'm surprised you didn't stop to get a poster?"

"I can't take it dancing with us." Kate glanced up and down the street. "Are we still going dancing?"

"Oh yes, I'm not letting you get out of that, Ms. Dancing Queen." Ororo watched Kate blush with satisfaction, before moving to the curb and waving down a cab. "It should be starting to get interesting at the club by now."

Ororo opened the door for Kate and noticed how Kate looked at her twice subtly, before slipping into the cab. Ororo gave their destination, one Betsy had recommended. Betsy had visited most of the clubs with dancing in the city, and that included the gay ones.

When the cabbie stared at her in the rearview mirror Ororo stared back, willing him to say nothing. He sat back and just drove. That was when Ororo relaxed and grinned at her date for the day. This was potentially going to be the longest running first date she'd ever had, starting and lunch and they might end up having breakfast.

Ororo looked away and hid her own smile at her thoughts, as another way to stay for breakfast, other than dancing until daylight, occurred to her. She'd started the date thinking it would at least be a fun night, because she knew they had fun together. Now she wondered how fun it could be.

Was Kate timid as a kitten in bed or as wild as a tiger? Ororo would be fine with either if she got the opportunity to find out. Ororo glanced over at Kate, and she got the impression of a kitten. Ororo noticed the widening eyes as Kate looked at her, and the blush. That's how Ororo knew she was being too obvious about what she was thinking.

………………………

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 6

By Princess Alexandria

Kate felt like her heart was dancing to the loud beat, it was so loud it seemed to affect her breathing, as they walked into the bar and approached the dance floor. She hadn't heard music so loud it seemed to vibrate the very blood in her veins since college.

Ororo leaned in right up next to her ear and had to yell a little. "Drink or dance first?" Kate's eyes were trailing over the dance floor, as she noticed all the same sex couples, and a few straight ones, dancing. She glanced over at the bar and the crowd around it.

"Dance." Kate smiled as she studied the moves people made here. This wasn't going to be too hard. The number of people on the dance floor would mean she couldn't do too much, so she wasn't going to overdance and look like an idiot. That was a problem her dance major roommate in college had had, she always danced like it was a show.

Ororo took her hand and held it up high as she guided them through the crowd, and Kate almost stumbled as she saw two women making out on the dance floor, rather than dancing. Her eyes stayed with them a bit longer than they should, but then she turned to see Ororo slowing and turning toward her.

Ororo moved well, and Kate watched with wide eyes at the control Ororo had of her body and the smooth movements. She could have majored in dance as well, Kate thought and smiled. The heat of the club, along with the pounding beat, made this a workout. They danced for hours, never leaving the floor to get those drinks they'd talked about. Kate had sweat on her forehead and knew her shirt was clinging to her, but she smiled at Ororo as they danced on. Kate was determined not to ask for a break first, but she found that she really should work on more, because even with her major in college, Ororo was pushing Kate's ability to keep up.

The slow song had Kate standing still a moment, watching as Ororo moved closer. They hadn't been touching, but as they started to sway to the song Kate was reminded how different it was to dance with a woman on a date. Ororo was seductive, and when she leaned down Kate's heart was hammering. "You dance well." Ororo spoke into her ear and Kate swallowed at the husky quality in Ororo's voice.

"So do you." Kate managed to stammer out, but the touch of finger tips to her neck drew her attention, and her body started to tense up a bit in shock. Her fantasies sprang up in her mind and Kate felt nervous and excited, hopeful and scared, as Ororo leaned in again, not turning toward Kate's ear.

Kate felt the soft touch to her lips and her head tilted back just a little to make it easier for Ororo to kiss her more firmly, but Kate was finding herself more scared than anything else for an endless second as she tried to learn how to kiss very fast. She didn't want it obvious that she'd never been kissed before, not like this. It made the childish kisses with boys she only liked as friends seem like nothing at all, as Ororo kissed her more deeply.

Kate stared up at Ororo as the woman pulled back, and the intensity in the woman's eyes made Kate's body throb, and her stomach clench in fear all at the same time.

Ororo leaned into her and Kate found herself back up into a wall she didn't know what there, as the taller woman kissed her again. Kate moaned lightly and moved her hands from Ororo's shoulders to her head, threading her hands through soft white hair, as instincts seemed to fill the void of experience.

"Shall we leave?" Ororo asked just as Kate was calming down and just focusing on the kissing and gentle touches. It took a moment for the words to register, and then Kate found her stomach clenching again. Leave for what? Could she really do that? Fear clenched at Kate's heart and she wrestled it down, the promises of the night so tempting she tried to fight her nerves. Those nerves had never served her well, because of them she was just now having her first kiss with a woman, if she let them rule her she may never have more.

"Sounds good." Kate answered, but her pounding heart washed away her arousal with fear. Ororo was so intensely sexual, even just her eyes held dangerous promises and Kate was sure there were less intimidating women to start with.

But probably none more beautiful, more sexy. It was cruel that what made Ororo so scary was what made her so appealing. Even her being a mutant was intriguing and daunting at the same time. Kate just did her best to screw up her courage and follow Ororo out of the club.

Ororo was very good at catching cabs, and they were on their way to Kate's hotel room in no time.

The gentle touches to her leg, the soft words of distraction as they talked about little things that they saw out the windows, didn't help to calm the nerves that were growing more and more tense.

They stepped out onto the sidewalk and Ororo paid the man, while turning to smile wickedly at Kate and Kate hated that she could feel her body shaking. They were practically alone at this late hour as they walked through the lobby to the elevator.

The door was hard to open and Ororo finally took the key card from her to do it, opening it up smoothly and smiling at her as Kate found herself taken by the hand and pulled inside her own room. Her breath caught as Ororo kissed her neck, and then moved to her mouth, pushing Kate's body up against the door to close it.

Kate whimpered and the warmth of the woman in front of her pulled back, so that Ororo could stare at her. Kate felt her face flushed and could feel the shaking in her body. Ororo looked thoughtful. "You're shaking." Ororo spoke softly, her hand moving to caress Kate's hair out of her face. Kate watched as Ororo backed up, and the brief pain in her eyes hurt to see. "I thought, well," Ororo took a step back. "I'm sorry." Ororo motioned to the door. "I had a lovely night."

It sounded like the tense end of a bad date and Kate frowned as she tried to understand what went wrong.

"I had a great time." It felt like a script she was reading from as the words fell from her lips, it felt wrong somehow. When Ororo motioned she was ready to go Kate stared at her a moment, before she opened the door, lost as to why this was falling apart.

Ororo stepped out and Kate stared at her as Ororo looked back at her from the other side of the door, before nodding and starting to walk away. Kate took a step out into the hall, feeling like a countdown had begun and she needed to do something.

"I have tickets to Phantom of the Opera for Saturday." Kate spoke up, her voice too loud for the hall, considering the hour.

Ororo turned around and stared at her, a small smile crossing her lips, that didn't really hold warmth and shaking her head. "You don't have to, I get it."

"I'd like to go with you." Kate's arm shook as she pushed her hair out of her face, staring at Ororo. Her voice softened. "I really had a great time. I've never had so much fun with someone." She heard the pleading in her voice and didn't like how desperate she sounded, but something was going on here, she could feel it. Ororo's tense, not really a smile, relaxed and her eyebrows drew together for a moment before she nodded.

"I think I might like to go see that again." Ororo took a step, and then another, coming closer, until she was right in front of Kate again, staring down at her. She kissed Kate briefly and then stared at her a moment longer. "I'll call you later."

Kate closed the door and leaned against it, disgusted with herself for freezing. She stared at the bed and cursed quietly to herself for screwing up somehow. She wasn't sure Ororo would call back.

She washed her face and was starting to take off her shirt when her cell phone rang. Kate frowned and looked at the number before answering it. It was local.

"Do you want to do lunch again Saturday? Maybe we could hit a museum or something." Ororo spoke and Kate felt like the fist clenched around her heart finally eased up, as she started to smile.

"I'd like that." Kate let out a relieved breath.

"You've never been with a woman before, have you?" Ororo spoke and Kate blushed as she turned to stare at the floor. "It's okay." Ororo said after a moment of silence. "I'll see you Saturday." She wasn't calling it off.

"Okay." Kate spoke softer, the late hour making her think she needed to whisper. "I wanted to." Her voice was shaky.

"So did I." Ororo sounded amused. "It's okay. I'll see you Saturday."

The phone was closed and Kate stared at it a moment, before smiling softly and putting it back down.

Her shower was brief as the long day started to catch up with her, and Kate fell onto the bed, but it took a while to fall asleep as her mind played cruel games, imagining what she could have been doing if her courage hadn't failed her.


	6. Chapter 7 & 8

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 7

By Princess Alexandria

Jean looked amused as she walked into the locker room, and Ororo just sighed quietly while lacing her boots. She'd managed to get a little bit of sleep before her team had the danger room, but she hadn't seen Jean since the date and it was clear why Jean was here.

Ororo really didn't mind, but she took on a put out expression as Jean slid onto the bench and stared at Ororo while she switched to her other foot. "So, how was the date with little miss Starbucks? You got in awfully late?"

"And how do you know that?" Ororo focused on her boot as Jean's grin was anything but repentant. Ororo could hear the shower turning off, so she knew Rogue would be out soon.

"I checked when you came back with the computers. You didn't pass the gate until almost dawn."

With her boots on, Ororo was completely dressed, but she sat down on the bench with a small smile. "It was lovely."

"How lovely was it?" Jean teased and Ororo shook her head at the insinuation.

"I didn't stay the night, and unless duty calls I'm not such a cad as to leave, so no, it wasn't 'that' lovely." Ororo moved her leg over the bench to straddle it so she could look at Jean. "We had lunch and walked Central Park for hours, just talking." She smiled at that memory. "The play was definitely worth seeing. I think I might even read the book."

"Hi praise for the musical, but what about the woman you were with?" Jean teased.

"Well, I know she's definitely worth another date, so it's fortunate she invited me to Phantom of the Opera tomorrow." Ororo spoke with a smug smile on her lips.

"That sounds promising sugah." Rogue walked over, clad in towels, proving she'd been listening in.

"That's what I thought." Ororo replied and as Rogue opened her own locker, Ororo spoke more quietly to the two of them. "I almost screwed it up." She admitted, thinking of that hurt look on Kate's face as Kate called her back with another offer of a date.

Jean frowned just a little, which was more effective than a verbal question. Ororo sighed heavily. "After dancing, which was very fun with her, things were progressing nicely, and she tensed up." Ororo remembered how it had felt to have the woman she'd planned to spend the night with do that, and it wasn't a good feeling.

"Well, if she doesn't know any mutants, perhaps she is a bit nervous." Jean offered a kinder interpretation than Ororo had for that hesitation. Rogue gave a small noise behind Ororo as she was dressing, that indicated she agreed with Jean.

"I thought something like that, so I started to leave." Ororo ran her hand through her damp hair. "It turned out that she'd never been with a woman before. That's why she started to freak out." Ororo grimaced. "I was ready to chalk it up to my being a mutant, and it wasn't that at all." Ororo shook her head, giving a small smile to Jean. "That's when she asked me out again."

"Poor girl." Rogue spoke and Ororo looked over at the southerner. "You have to admit you're a bit intimidating Storm. If she's a virgin, well, she's jumping into the deep end of the pool."

"Virgin?" Ororo went quiet, to consider that Kate might not have ever been with anyone, not just women. That thought actually fit.

"Planning to let her down gently?" Rogue asked quietly. Ororo looked up, wondering why anyone would think that.

"Not really." Ororo smiled somewhat wickedly. "Everyone has to start somewhere."

"But should she really lose her virginity on a vacation fling?" Rogue spoke and Ororo felt a bit of irritation.

"She's not a child. I think she can figure out what she wants to do without me dictating it to her." She frowned at the suggestion.

"But shouldn't the first time be special?" Rogue pushed and Ororo knew it was more about Rogue than her at that moment, since Rogue was untouchable, and therefore a virgin herself.

"I assure you, I'm fully capable of making it special." Ororo's voice took on a seductive quality.

"And that is why you intimidate her." Jean spoke, drawing Ororo's eyes back to her, to see the redhead smirking. "Surely you must know you intimidate a lot of people Ororo. You're intensity is an ingrained part of you, but it does keep the more timid from asking you out."

Ororo's eyebrows rose as she considered Kate. "Well, she must not be as timid as you suggest, because she at least managed to do it, twice."

"Or maybe she thinks the payoff is worth the risk." Another voice spoke up and Ororo looked up to see Betsy had joined them. "I mean, really, if I were wanting to lose my virginity to a woman, well." Betsy's grin was teasing and wicked. "She aims high, more power to her." Ororo just barely nodded to acknowledge the compliment imbedded in the teasing. "She hot?"

"Yes, she is." Ororo rolled her eyes as she answered. "And I think you should stick to what you know, because if I'm intimidating, you're downright terrifying."

Her mind stuck on the fact she was intimidating though, and Ororo found herself trying to think of a way to not do that to Kate. Her mind replayed the evening, trying to figure out what had caused the willing woman to tense up, and she sighed as she realized she'd been a bit forward, perhaps too much. She'd need to be gentler, and more patient Saturday.

………………………………..

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 8

By Princess Alexandria

Kate stood at the spot the clerk inside told her to stand, studying the map she'd been given of the city. She was a little surprised at herself for picking this particular tour, but thinking about the stories the local managers had told her and the fact she had gone on a date with a superhero, it just seemed like the thing to do.

Kate grinned as she glanced at the couple standing waiting for the bus with her, taking in the spiderman shirt the man wore. That would be embarrassing to bump into Spiderman while wearing that shirt. She glanced back down at the stops the buses would take. She'd managed to grab the hop-on-hop off tour, but she wouldn't have time to get out at every stop. She'd slept in, so she now had 5 hours to see as much of the sites as possible.

The Baxter Building, The Avenge headquarters, a few sites of apparently historical battles, were all marked on her map. A guided tour of sorts was the best plan she was able to come up with for a woman alone, and she was actually a little eager for the bus to arrive.

Her mind traveled to Ororo and she smiled, wondering if she should spend lunch tomorrow embarrassing herself by admitting she had taken this particular tour. It would at least give her an interesting story to tell.

The bus pulled up and a few people got off, before Kate slipped on. The weather was nice, so Kate slipped up the narrow stairs and sat on the top of the bus, open to the air. The tour guide was a few seats in front of her. As they left the tour guide gushed about the heroes of the city, naming a few.

The first stop was approaching and Kate glanced around, with the others, at the people on the streets, walking around in front of the Baxter Building. Her eyes traveled up it, and then she looked along the street at the shops. She smirked as she noticed Elyse's store, that manager had told her that Johnny Storm was often there picking up drinks and ladies. Kate slipped off the bus to walk around, knowing that every half hour another bus would arrive.

Armed with a souvenir magnet of the Baxter building, Kate boarded the next bus a half hour later. Her visits after that included the sites of battles, and the Avenger mansion.

Walking around the Avenger mansion, Kate slipped into a deli for a bite to eat and sat outside to stare at Central Park while she ate it. Her eyes traveled over the New Yorkers and other tourists as she ate. Her eating slowed as she watched a tall green woman in a business suit walk along 

the streets and no one bothered her. A few gave her odd looks, but she continued on her way as if she noticed none of it.

Kate watched her walk into a store and looked closer, almost laughing when she noticed the Starbucks sign. Her mind tried to think of any stories she'd heard, but Matt had never mentioned that his store was just a block away from the Avenger mansion, and Avengers came in there for their coffee.

Matt was the manager of that store, Kate was pretty sure. She glanced at the street signs to confirm it.

…………………….

Later that night, after a late dinner, that ended a day of late meals all day long because Kate slept in, she walked along the streets looking for a grocery store. She wanted some sort of snack for later, because she was sure she'd be hungry later, right before bed and she'd learned it was hard to find food nearby at that hour.

It was the shaking earth that had Kate staring around in surprise, thinking about earthquakes. The loud smash behind her had her turning quickly to see something else smash into the ground and dust and bits of what seemed like rock spread out, breaking the window of the store she stood in front of.

There was screaming, but Kate was still trying to grasp what she was seeing, as a blur of blue and red moved over her and dirt pelted her. Kate looked up and with wide eyes stared at the large chunk of the building that was hanging and bouncing just six feet above her. Kate could see the strings, and now she could tell it was a web. "Oh Shit." Kate whispered and the smashing sound came with a torrent of water filling the street and sidewalk in front of her. She watched a man hit by the water tossed as if he were a leaf being hit by a strong wind, into the side of the building.

Kate couldn't see what was happening from where she was, but people were running away so she could tell where the problem was. She couldn't just run, the water was too strong, so she found herself carefully looking left and right at the street before planning to cross.

A car sailed through the air passed her. She waited until it was gone to run. She had to look down and avoid rubble, so she didn't see the fight until she heard a loud noise she couldn't ignore and she turned to see a large man, a really large man, throwing another car at Spiderman, but Spiderman ducked and Kate stared with wide eyes as it sailed at her.

She bent backwards as fast as she could and watched it sail over her head as she balanced on her toes. Some of her hair was pulled out as the side view mirror caught part of it.

She stood back up carefully and moved faster to the other side of the street, where she fully intended to run away from the fight.

She started down the sidewalk, just in time to see a man hovering in the air where she wanted to run too. She had no idea who he was, but she had a very bad feeling. She ducked into the pawn shop quickly, barely paying any attention to the cowering clerk or the broken window. Her eyes searched for a back door, and didn't see one.

A loud crash made her flinch, and she looked back out the door to see Spiderman was dodging lasers from the hovering man.

Another car flew through the air and it slammed into the wall, scrapping past the opened door. Kate took several more steps away from the door at that.

Spiderman was out there alone. Kate swallowed hard as she could see the suspended part of the building that could have killed her across the street. Shaking hands grabbed her phone, and she started to dial 911, but after 91 she stopped and stared back out at the fight. What could a cop do? Kate froze as she watched Spiderman take a hard hit and watched him fly into a wall, falling down.

It felt like her mind wouldn't work, until suddenly the panic faded and Kate stared down at the phone. She hung up and whispered, "Madison Avenue store," as she started to dial. It wasn't too far away.

"Starbucks," A voice spoke and Kate interrupted the greeting.

"If there are any superheroes in your store, you need to announce that there is a… a… emergency on," She couldn't remember the street. She looked toward the clerk and gave up on getting anything out of him. Risking it, she rushed to the door and looked at the street signs, which were bent and hard to read, reciting it.

"Ma'am, we don't forward messages."

"This is Kate Hughes, Payroll Kate! Spiderman is getting his ass handed to him, Yell it out if you have to, somebody might come." She yelled at him and once she heard him announcing her message loudly she hung up, and stared at the phone again.

"Lexington Avenue." She whispered, the number for the store filling her mind as she dialed again.

"Starbucks," A woman started to say and once again Kate interrupted.

"This is Kate Hughes,"

"Hey Kate, it's Elyse." The voice sounded like a casual visit and Kate's heart was hammering too much for that. She watched Spiderman struggle to catch a van, and stared helplessly at the terrified people in it. He managed to put it down, but then was hit with something, it looked like a light pole, and he was down. He wasn't getting up.

"We need the Fantastic Four at," she struggled to remember the street names and recited them quickly. "The place is being torn apart."

"Johnny!" Elyse's voice was sharp, yelling out toward someone.

Kate hung up, hopeful that something would come of that. She walked toward the door and almost stumbled over something. Looking down it looked like a brick from the building across the street.

"Hey Big Guy." A feminine voice yelled out before Kate made it to the doorway, but she looked out to see a tall green woman standing in the rubble of the road. The large man moved toward her and Kate felt like her heart was going to burst as they started to fight. More fighting. She stared out at the road and Spiderman wasn't moving. She took another look at the dangling bits of building that could have killed her, imagining him as he did what she didn't see, saving her.

The buzzing sound drew her attention up and she saw the hovering man moving to turn and return to the street, he was about two blocks away and twelve stories up. Kate rushed out the ten feet from the door and gripped Spiderman under his arm, struggling to drag his body backwards toward the stop.

Her own body leaned back heavily as she tried to compensate for the fact he weighed more than she did. The movement out of the side of her eye startled her and Kate flinched, but the boy next to her just grabbed his left arm, and shared a wide eyed look with her, before Kate shifted her hold to just his right and they pulled him quickly to the doorway and away from the battle.

They stopped after they'd gone two of his body lengths into the building and then waited tensely to see if anyone followed.

A fireball hit the ground near where there was an upside down taxi, and Kate stared with large eyes as a man made of flame flew past the window.

"Shit and you live here?" The boy spoke and Kate turned to look at him.

"Vacation." She muttered. He gave a tense chuckle.

"Me too."

The groan had her looking down at Spiderman. She could see cuts in his suit, and some blood on his chest. She couldn't really see him, see his body, to see the damage, but he raised a hand to his head and groaned again. "What was the number of the bus that hit me?"

"You dodged the bus, it was the light pole." Kate squatted down next to him as he moved to try and sit up. Her voice was softer. "People are out there, you're hurt. Let them do this." She noticed the boy who'd helped her drag him in here moved to look out the door.

Spiderman didn't listen to her and Kate watched with some concern as he swayed a little before walking back out there.

The crashing sounds stopped shortly after he'd left, and the teen that had helped her moved to quickly leave. Kate stepped out more cautiously, to see two unconscious men and three heroes in the road. She took another few hesitant steps, glancing around at the disaster that was the street.

Her hands were shaking a bit as she moved to walk away, but a voice called out. "Thanks for the save; I don't mind playing the damsel in distress for you, my hero." She turned to see Spiderman with both his hands over his chest like a damsel in distress.

Kate found herself staring in some shock at his playful looking wave he gave her after that, even though she suspected he should still be in pain. "Likewise." She yelled back a bit uncertainly. She glanced at the two heroes that came when she'd called, but she thought it best to just leave. They were focused on the criminals in front of them. She really wanted to get out of there before something else went wrong.

She moved off of that street at a fast stride, turning as soon as possible, to head back to her hotel.

Her mind was a bit numb as she walked into the hotel lobby again, without her food. She never did find the grocery store. She moved to lie on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Images of flying cars, and falling bricks kept her awake a good long time. She couldn't quite figure out how many times she'd almost died tonight.

It wasn't until she had that thought that she remembered Ororo, and her mind got stuck on wondering what Ororo would have done in her situation, or how many of those types of situations she'd been in.

It was very late indeed before she fell asleep, still in her clothes.

…………………………………….


	7. Chapter 9 & 10

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 9

By Princess Alexandria

Ororo frowned as she tried to call again and it went straight to Kate's voicemail. She glanced around at the hotel lobby, and the large clock that declared it nearly lunch time. They were supposed to meet here. She didn't see Kate waiting for her.

With a slight frown Ororo made her way to the elevators and pushed the floor she remembered Kate was on.

Ororo knocked and after a moment she heard a chain jangling on the other side of the door. It opened and a rumpled Kate, with hair that had clearly not been combed yet answered. Kate's eyes were wide. "I slept in." She held the door open in invitation. "I'm so sorry."

Ororo glanced at the bed, messy, but not opened as if someone had slept in it, just rumpled like someone slept on it, and then at Kate in her clothes clearly from yesterday even though she hadn't seen Kate yesterday. The dirt on the black pants had her pause. "What happened to you?"

"I didn't fall asleep until late and I forgot to set the alarm." That wasn't really what Ororo meant, but she let it go as Kate was moving around faster, and Ororo watched her grab clothes out of the closet and some underwear, before looking at her. "I really need a quick shower."

"Go ahead. I'll watch the television." Ororo gave Kate a small grin and a shaking head. This seemed out of character for Kate, but then she didn't know her all that well yet.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." Kate muttered again, moving to the bathroom.

"We don't have reservations, leaving here late won't make any difference." Ororo spoke as she glanced around for the remote control. The water running told her Kate was in the shower.

Ororo sat on the bed and flipped the stations until she caught the news. It amused her to see the weather predicting rain, because she wasn't going to let it rain today. Well, maybe while they were eating.

The news shifted to talk about some battle Spiderman had been in the night before, and Ororo sat up straighter as she paid attention. Occasionally it was important to be aware of what was going on in the city. Someone had a camera, and it showed a rather destroyed street.

A car was tossed at Spiderman and he dodged it well, but a sick feeling came over Ororo as she saw it heading for a bystander. Her eyes widened as the person just bent backwards in a move she'd only seen Betsy manage, balancing on her toes with her body even with the ground and the car sailed over her. Ororo blinked as the woman stood up and her eyes widened as she 

recognized the clothes. She got up off the couch to look harder at the woman in the background running into a shop as the focus was still on Spiderman.

Ororo glanced at the bathroom door, her eyebrows drawn together. "Spiderman was assisted by She Hulk and the Human Torch later, as well as a couple of bystanders."

Ororo's hand move to rest over her mouth as she saw Spiderman laying, unmoving on the ground. She saw the woman from the earlier clip run out and start to pull on him. This time the camera zoomed in to see her struggle with the larger man. "Kate?" Ororo whispered, and then watched as a young man helped Kate pull Spiderman to safety. She couldn't be sure, the picture quality wasn't all that great, but she had a sinking feeling it might actually be Kate.

The shower was still going, so Ororo pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Sage, I'd like you to find what footage you can about Spiderman's battle last night."

"A problem?" Sage asked as the click of keys told Ororo she'd caught the woman near a computer.

"I don't think so." Ororo blinked as the news went on to talk about other things, and she got up to stand by the window, staring out at the city. "I've told you about Kate haven't I?"

"The woman you are currently dating. I've heard some, but no you haven't told me." Sage made a small humming noise as she searched the computer for footage. "What are you looking for in this footage, I'll send it to your phone."

"I'd like a close up of the face of the woman who rushed out to save Spiderman when he was down." Ororo moved her hand to play with the condensation on the window, before sighing and trying to control her powers a bit better.

The picture that appeared on her phone was Kate. "Will this do?" Sage asked, the picture wasn't the best quality, but it was good enough. Ororo thought of Kate's moves and found herself shaking her head, surprised.

"That's my date for the evening." Ororo muttered. "She was going to take a quiet tour, and walk around yesterday." She sighed. "Thank you."

"She seems rather limber for an average human." Sage commented on the scene that filled Ororo's mind. "Pretty too."

"She was a dancer." Ororo answered distractedly, and then noticed the shower turning off. "I need to go."

Once Ororo had her phone away she glanced around the room, wondering how to talk to Kate about this. They didn't talk about the missions Ororo went on, or the danger, but a part of Ororo wished Kate had called her last night, rather than stay awake and perhaps scared.

Kate had really handled herself pretty well. Ororo had a small smile as she considered that. Timid, the others thought she was timid, but she'd rushed out in the middle of the battle to save someone. That was impressive. Not to mention that move, Ororo wasn't sure she could pull that one off and she trained for events like that.

If Kate were a member of her team she'd congratulate her for that, knowing she hadn't the power to actually fight. If she were a partially trained student she'd scold them for running into the battle at all. She didn't know what to do or think about Kate, who had no training, but was old enough to make her own decisions.

She moved to sit down as she heard various sounds of getting ready from the bathroom. Kate came out with damp hair, but flawless makeup and smiled shyly at her. "I'm ready."

"Do you want burgers or pasta?" Ororo asked, standing up. Her eyes looked for damage, but if Kate had any, she couldn't see it. They left and Ororo decided to wait to bring up what she'd seen, until she had a better idea of how Kate was taking it.

'She seems rather limber for an average human' Ororo remembered Sage's words, but her mind was drifting in a far less innocent direction. Kate seemed a little more confident today, which was rather attractive, and gave Ororo hope that the night before hadn't been too horrible, and tonight might be a lot better.

They sat and ordered their meals, before Ororo decided it was okay to broach the topic. "I saw you on the news."

It was interesting that Kate froze for a moment, and stared down at her plate. Ororo watched the blush on her cheeks. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everything turned out okay." She looked up. "I had been on a superhero tour that day, and I just got the extra package I guess." There was a small smirk on her lips.

Ororo just raised an eyebrow at Kate, which had Kate talking again. "I spent the afternoon on that Superhero tour, looking at the Baxter Building and Avenger Mansion and all that. It was interesting." Kate blushed, and pushed her hair back behind her ear in that adorable way she had. "I figured it would be more interesting than the Architectural tour for me."

"See anything interesting?" Ororo asked, and she noticed the spark in Kate's eyes.

"I saw where She Hulk gets her coffee." Kate's smile made Ororo curious as to why that was important at all. Kate didn't tell her.

"I was just walking around when the battle suddenly happened, and I ran into a store for cover." Kate was technically telling the truth, but that flying car filled Ororo's mind, and she was wondering if Kate was just that modest or didn't realize it was a big deal to avoid getting hit the way she had. "She Hulk and Johnny Storm came just when Spiderman was losing, so that was pretty lucky." Kate leaned forward. "I wasn't sure there would be anyone at the Starbucks I called, but I lucked out. I was so glad to see them."

"You called the coffee shops to get help?" Ororo asked, "Not the police?"

"What would the police be able to do? They were tossing cars out there; I don't think police would be able to stop that." Kate sighed and Ororo thought of the unique way Kate had actually save Spiderman's life. It had been her; she did more than pull him to safety. Ororo stared at Kate, seeing something there she hadn't seen before. The woman was stronger under pressure than she'd thought. Ororo couldn't ever remember a bystander in her battles doing so much to determine the outcome. Of course, Spiderman didn't know that it was Kate that made that win possible last night either, so maybe someone went unacknowledged in helping her as well once.

"I'm glad you're alright." Ororo finally spoke. "That could have been pretty bad."

"I know, by the time I'd figured out what was happening I'd already almost been crushed. Spiderman stopped the building from falling on me." Kate looked a little pale at that memory. "I looked up to see this huge chunk of the wall dangling over me. Another second and I would have been crushed. Somehow I don't think I'll tell my brother that story. He might suggest I never leave the state again."

Ororo frowned at the words, but only addressed some of them. "Older brother?" She had heard stories of older siblings and that sounded familiar. Kate nodded.

"He can be pretty pushy at times. It's not like he can ground me or anything." Kate rolled her eyes. "But I'd rather not deal with the drama." And that told Ororo what she needed to know. She refrained from the warnings and lectures she felt on her own tongue about Kate running back out into the street, which both impressed her and worried her. Kate was, after all, only human.

………………………………….

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 10

By Princess Alexandria

"That looks lovely on you." Ororo spoke and Kate blushed as she turned to look behind her at the woman sitting on the chair in the dressing room. Ororo had convinced Kate that shopping in New York was a tourist activity, and threatened to buy Kate more luggage when Kate tried to claim she didn't have room for more. They were now out looking through Macy's, and a few other apparently very important stores. "You'd need new shoes, but that would look great for tonight."

Kate glanced at the bag next to Ororo, knowing what an amazing dress was in there for the night, and it made her think she should buy this one. She just had no idea when, or where else, she'd ever wear it after the night.

At the register Kate looked at her watch, considering how much time they had left. "We could drop the bags off at my room and change?" They had more than enough time for that, but 

shopping was wearing her down. And how strange was that in the middle of a date, to stop and prepare for the date? It kind of blurred the lines, having Ororo helping her to prepare for that.

They'd just gone to Wicked, but apparently they were 'attending the theater' tonight. Ororo had made reservations at a place she said served amazing food, and there were no plans to dance.

Kate hoped they weren't ending the date right after the play. She paid the cashier, as she considered that. Kate had spent a bit longer in the shower today, hoping that someone would appreciate her smooth shaved legs, so she was ready to wear a dress. That wasn't why she did it though. Kate's heart hammered at the thought, but she smiled as Ororo picked up the bag and carried both her purchases and Kate's.

"This will be a lot of fun." Ororo seemed really pleased with their plans for the evening.

Kate was very glad she'd asked for this second date, as she watched Ororo smile at her while stepping through the door Kate held opened for her.

"Hippy chick, is that the type of clothes you used to wear?" Ororo spoke in a teasing voice and Kate turned to see a tie dye feast for the eyes in a small shop next to them.

"Actually." Kate tilted her head and moved into the store a little, to pull up a flowing gauzy skirt, and held it up to her waist with a smile. She turned to Ororo and shifted from left to right in a small dance to make the skirt flow with her, it didn't do it as well as it would if it were on, but she grinned and twirled. "This is like what I wore." She pulled the skirt up to her eyes, taking it in. It really was cute, back then she would have bought it immediately, but now she'd need a whole new wardrobe to wear it, so she put it back on the shelf. She glanced over at Ororo to see an amused smile.

"Did you dance around like that as well?" Ororo smiled and shifted her hold on the bags so she could touch the skirt Kate had played with.

"Of course, that's the point of something flowy like that." Kate chuckled, but when Ororo picked the skirt up and moved it over toward the shirts Kate watched as Ororo picked a shirt that went with it.

"Try them on?" Ororo had a playful look in her eyes so Kate took both items and glanced around for a dressing room. This small shop had a tiny curtained area in the back.

"Will you find a leather store?" Kate turned to ask Ororo, before doing this.

Ororo gave a slight grimace, but nodded. "That's fair I guess." Kate smiled and lifted the flowing skirt and shirt up in the air as she made her way to the changing corner.

Looking at her reflection after she'd changed, Kate did what she could with her hair to make it more wild, but the cut was all wrong. She also stared down at her bare feet, thinking that was 

better than putting on her other shoes. This outfit would have gone with her Birkenstocks, but not her loafers.

Opening the curtain with sudden flick Kate grinned at Ororo and stepped out into the shop, before twirling just enough to show the way the skirt started to dance with her. She stopped with a smile when Ororo laughed. "That is so cute." Ororo was still grinning.

Kate blushed and moved to change back. The store clerk looked a bit disappointed when she didn't buy those clothes.

"We'll need to go a few blocks passed your hotel to find the store I'm thinking of." Ororo spoke as they walked toward the crosswalk. "Still interested?"

"Oh yeah." Kate grinned and leaned in to gently hold Ororo's arm as they walked, feeling very brave as she did it. "So if I was a hippy chick, did that make you a leather mama? Or a biker chick?"

Ororo bared her teeth at Kate and Kate did her best to keep her smile the same, in spite of how sexy Ororo had just looked. That moment of tough girl had made Kate's blood actually turn to fire for a moment; she felt like she might start sweating. Ororo then just bumped Kate gently and smiled at her.

"I was called either, by friends in need of very cold rain showers. Remember that."

They continued on their way as Kate looked up at the clear skies, feeling optimistic that clouds should at least take some time to pull this way she leaned in. "I prefer biker chick, but then you'd need a bike."

A very cold breeze caught her breath and Kate's hair was blown about making it a mess. Her eyes widened at Ororo's teasing wink. "Oh, it's getting nippy isn't it?" Kate stared at her as she realized that had been Ororo's power in action. That hadn't really taken a lot of time. "We should probably keep moving before any rain hits."

Kate just shook her head and smiled, but it was a bit unnerving. She stopped teasing Ororo about labels.

The store smelled like leather, and the people in it were a bit scary. Kate followed Ororo into the store, and took the bags from her so that Ororo could find some clothes. "This won't be the same without the accessories." Ororo spoke while looking at leather pants.

"I wasn't even wearing shoes, and I did wear dangly bead necklaces." Kate commented on the things her show and tell lacked.

"Did you wear shoes?" Ororo teased.

"Yes." Kate shook her head and then noticed Ororo grab a pair of pants. Ororo turned to go further into the store, looking at leather vests.

She really thought Ororo would look for a shirt after that, but she watched as Ororo slid into the changing room. "They don't have my old boots, but this should give you an idea."

The changing room door closed and Ororo's voice came from it. "It's a lot harder to try on leather, just so you know."

"Did you want bonus points for that?" Kate asked, as she listened to the noises in the room, and glanced around at the people giving her rather odd looks. She really didn't look like she belonged, wearing her black pants and a blue button up shirt, and carrying bags from Sax and Macys.

"Keep in mind I had a Mohawk, biker boots, and a black leather dog collar." Ororo's voice spoke, sounding amused already. The door opened and Kate found herself staring.

The pants were skin tight, and the woman was only wearing a vest. Ororo's expression had also changed, it didn't hold the friendliness it had all day. Ororo's expression was cold, controlled, and the way she looked at Kate made Kate feel like she was the last piece of meat in front of a starving dog. "What do you think?" Ororo's voice was just a tad gruffer, tougher.

Kate's jaw opened as she tried to think of what to say, but her words froze in her mouth as Ororo stepped closer to her, so that Kate could smell the leather on her. "You look," Kate searched for a word. "Intimidating." She screwed up her courage to say something else too, "and sexy."

"Would you have asked me out looking like this?" Ororo asked.

"Not in a million years." Kate spoke honestly. "I would have stared, if you weren't looking, but I wouldn't have spoke."

"Well, good thing I changed my tastes." Ororo smiled, and it looked a little feral to Kate. It made her wonder if changing clothes really changed the person underneath all that much. "We better get going. I'll change." Ororo went back into the dressing room and Kate stayed where she was.

Her eyes trailed over the leather vests near her on the rack, and she blushed at the thoughts in her mind. Ororo did look intimidating like that, but that wasn't all bad.

………………………….


	8. Chapter 11 & 12

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 11

By Princess Alexandria

Ororo adjusted her dress in the bathroom, having picked it rather than the room for changing. She would have just changed in front of Kate, if the woman hadn't blushed so much at the hint of what she was doing. That was how Ororo knew she was pushing too hard, and that Kate might prefer to not see her naked until they were actually about to become intimate.

Ororo leaned closer to the mirror and put her earrings in. She ran her hand through her hair and reapplied her makeup. After that she slowly opened the bathroom door and watched as Kate turned away from the television in the room to look at her. It looked like the Simpsons were on. "You're turn.

Kate's widening eyes and shy smile were appreciated. "You look beautiful." Kate spoke quietly.

"Thank you." Ororo smiled and moved to the side, watching at Kate grabbed her own bag and makeup. Ororo would be willing to bet money that Kate would come out of that room looking just as beautiful as any woman Ororo had seen before. Kate's bone structure, eyes, and skin made it so the woman wouldn't really need makeup, but Kate had brought it in with her.

Ororo glanced at the television, disinterested, before pulling her communicator out. She could see she'd missed a call. It couldn't have been an emergency or it would have rung even though she'd turned it off.

Calling back Ororo moved to the window to stare out at the brick across the way. This room didn't have that much of a view.

"Hello." A clear voice spoke and Ororo grinned at the teasing tone.

"Calling me in the middle of the date to ask about the date is rather premature don't you think, Jean?" Ororo leaned against the wall and smiled. "But it is going well so far."

"Anything interesting to report?" Jean spoke, and Ororo had the image of the woman settling down in a comfortable chair to gossip in her mind.

The fact that Kate had saved Spiderman the night before crossed her mind, but that was something she wanted to see Jean's face for, so Ororo just smiled mischievously at the window as she thought of Jean's face. "We went shopping, and she's changing before we head out to dinner."

"It's going well you say." Jean asked and Ororo spent a moment focusing on the bathroom, to hear the water in the sink running.

"I think Kate's feeling a little more adventurous today. I might not be home tonight." Ororo spoke quietly.

"Oh really?" Jean was gearing up for more teasing, Ororo was sure. It was a shame that Jean was married and not dating, because it would be easier to tease her if she weren't with Scott. He didn't really inspire this type of discussion.

Ororo started to share what they'd done so far that day as she waited for Kate. Once she heard the bathroom door she turned, pulling the phone from her ear, and stared. The phone was still on and lowered as Ororo spoke softly, "You look so beautiful."

Kate blushed, "Thank you." When Kate glanced down at Ororo's hand, Ororo remembered she was on the phone.

"Jean, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Was all Ororo said before hanging up.

"Jean's the redhead that was on the television, right?" Kate asked, and Ororo took a moment to remember the airport lunch they'd shared days ago.

"Yes, well the news she's more interested in right now is how the date is going." Ororo gave a mock sigh of exasperation.

"It's going good right?" Kate asked with a small smile, but Ororo thought she saw some nervousness in her eyes.

"It's going wonderfully." Ororo spoke as she moved forward, toward Kate. She talked in a whisper. "Very wonderfully." She leaned in and tested the red lipstick Kate was wearing with a slow kiss. When she pulled away, she noticed that Kate leaned forward into her, to lengthen the kiss for just a moment. Ororo smiled at Kate and rested a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Shall we go eat?"

Kate had opted for fashion over comfort, and Ororo noticed the second she shivered as they made their way to the restaurant. It was a small effort to move the air and put a warm cushion of it around her date. Kate's surprised look as she no longer was cold was amusing too. "I never get cold, and only wear coats if I like how they look." Ororo grinned as she took Kate's hand.

"What did you do?" Kate leaned in to whisper as they waited for the chance to cross the street.

"I pulled the warm air closer to you." Ororo answered and watched Kate's expression. Kate just looked a little lost, confused, but she nodded as if she understood. "I don't just make rain." Ororo added, but she felt a little uncomfortable with the silence as Kate looked to be deep in thought.

"I guess." Kate gave Ororo a lost little grin. "I only took Chemistry and Biology in college, I have no idea what that has to do with the weather."

Ororo chuckled as she saw where Kate's thoughts had gone, and she was grateful she'd learned to give Kate more time to express herself before assuming the woman had a problem with Ororo being a mutant. Ororo smiled and spent just a moment glancing around before answering. "Warm fronts and Cold fronts sound familiar?" She watched as some small understanding appeared in Kate's eyes, before she glanced around for the restaurant.

The restaurant was close enough to the hotel that taking a cab on busy New York streets wouldn't have saved them any time. Ororo held the door opened for Kate and noticed the way Kate seemed to enjoy that, before following her into the restaurant. Ororo glanced at Kate's back thoughtfully as they waited to be noticed, considering if Kate just liked the 'gentlemanly' behaviors, or if it was a little more.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they were noticed. Ororo and Kate were led to a table.

Once they were left alone with their menus Ororo spoke, "You aren't cold in here are you?" She didn't think Kate was, but she did want to bring this up again. They had relative privacy for the moment.

"No, I'm fine." Kate paused and lowered her menu, apparently deep in thought again. Ororo wished she were telepathic at that moment, but reminded herself to wait. Her patience was rewarded. Kate leaned closer to her and spoke quieter. "You can do a lot more than I've seen, can't you? That article talked about a rainstorm."

Ororo wondered where this was going, but she nodded. "I have complete control over the weather, all forms of weather."

Kate looked so serious, and Ororo had the suspicion that she wasn't too happy either. "Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards?" Kate asked and Ororo nodded, but her heart sank a little as Kate's shoulders slumped. "Why are you dating me?" Was asked and Ororo's eyes widened at the whispered words. They'd sounded like something Kate had mulled over on her own for a while.

That comment had to be the source of the tension she'd felt on the way here. Once again Ororo was learning not to make assumptions about the woman. Ororo's tension melted as she smiled gently at Kate. "I have fun with you, and you are very attractive." Her smile became wicked to reinforce how attractive she found Kate. This was a case of power envy, or it might be. Ororo was reluctant to label it just yet, because she could be wrong.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" A voice interrupted them and Ororo turned to see the waiter there.

"We'd like a bottle of," Ororo glanced back down at the wine menu and picked one she'd had before and liked. She glanced up at Kate to see how she responded to Ororo taking charge, because this could either tick the woman off or not. Ororo smiled subtly to herself as she saw the look on Kate's face, interpreting it as pleased. Ororo ordered her meal and then went quiet as Kate ordered her own. Ororo refrained from making suggestions.

They were interrupted just moments later with bread, and it would clearly not be long before they had salad, so Ororo and Kate avoided talking about mutant powers and started talking about Wicked and dancing, and the fun they'd had.

Ororo liked the way Kate's eyes lit up while talking about Wicked. It was clearly going to be a lifelong favorite of the woman, and Ororo found herself pleased that she'd been there to share it with her. Hopefully Kate liked Phantom as well, it was a very different story.

"So when you met She Hulk, did you ask her to sing Defying Gravity?" Ororo teased after a moment, and watched Kate laugh.

Ororo couldn't remember when she'd last been on a date this pleasant. She liked how when Kate relaxed, she relaxed fully. It also reminded Ororo why she liked dating women, because it had been a while. There was just a tension that always existed on a date with a man that was completely absent here. It was nice.

……………………………………

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 12

By Princess Alexandria

She's doing it again, Kate thought as she felt the warmth of a leg against her own. Ororo had done this a few times during dinner, but the opening scene of the play was starting now, and all Kate could think about was the warmth of Ororo's leg against her own.

It took some effort, but she managed to focus on the play. Still a part of her mind wouldn't let go of the thoughts she had surrounding Ororo and her. Kate's heart hammered as she slowly, without looking, moved her hand over the chair arm between the two of them. Her hand found Ororo's and Kate sighed softly when her hand was taken and held.

Kate had adjusted to the feel of Ororo holding her hand and had started to be able to pay attention to the play, which really was pretty good, but Ororo during the second half decided to make that harder for her. Kate swallowed hard as she felt fingers caress the back of her hand, light caresses over her knuckles, swirling touches over her skin.

Glancing over at her date, Kate was stunned by how beautiful the woman really was. She looked down at their hands, and the dark brown of Ororo's skin looked so good against the pale cream of her own. Kate watched as Ororo's fingers turned her hand over and the caresses became even more arousing as Ororo caressed Kate's palm.

This was her hand, Kate thought with some surprise, as she tried to watch the play. Her hand, and she was almost ready to squirm in her seat. Ororo slowed and then stopped her touches as another song started, but she squeezed Kate's hand tightly once.

Kate found her mind wandering. She wanted to touch Ororo so much it was hard to sit still at all. She sat there for what felt like hours, but from the fact they were still singing the same song on stage she knew it was just minutes. Finally, Kate glanced at their joined hands and moved her fingers free, to caress the back of Ororo's hand. She glanced up a bit nervously, but Ororo smiled at her, so Kate looked back down at Ororo's hand, watching her fingers move for a moment.

It was hard to focus on the play, but Kate continued her touches for a while, until Ororo moved her hand away. For a moment Kate felt her heart sink, but then the warmth of that hand rested on her knee. The dress came to just below her knee while standing, so while part of Ororo's palm rested on the dress, her fingers caressed the skin.

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before trying to focus on the play again. It was difficult, but she didn't mind at all.

One thought circled through her mind, both exciting and scaring her. Kate was going to have sex tonight. She wasn't going to freeze, or get so nervous she'd change her mind. Kate swore to herself that she'd do it. She wanted to do it. As Ororo squeezed her knee, Kate really wanted to do it.

She just didn't know how. Her body tensed at that thought, but she forced herself to relax.

After the play Ororo took her hand and led her through the crowd with a skill that had them outside in half the time Kate would have expected. The cold hit her for just a moment, before Ororo put that warm air around her again.

They stood on the sidewalk, as Ororo stared at her. "Shall we go to your place?" It sounded so sexy coming from her lips and Kate nodded.

"I've never." Kate whispered before Ororo could move to hail a cab. That had Ororo moving back to her, and leaning down to kiss her.

"If you want to, I'll show you." Ororo promised, and Kate's eyes widened a little at the tenderness in those words. Ororo was perfect. That thought hit Kate as she considered what she was about to do.

"I'd like that." Kate gave Ororo a shaky smile, and Ororo caressed her arm, before moving to hail the cab. The cab ride was quieter than the last one, but Kate found Ororo caressing her knee, and once again marveled at how a touch to something so far from between her legs echoed there.

Once they stepped out of the cab, the feeling of doom started to make her body tense again. She was going to look like an idiot, she was sure of it. She'd embarrass herself in front of the most amazingly beautiful woman she'd ever seen. Kate started to feel a little nauseous actually, her nerves jangling through her body.

They were standing on the sidewalk, people walking past, and Ororo turned from paying for the cab to look at her. Kate felt exposed as Ororo frowned for just a moment, before moving closer. Ororo leaned in and whispered air across Kate's ear. "When I had my first time I accidently flooded a nearby village. It took them a week to clean up."

Ororo kissed her gently and pulled back with a small smile on her lips as Kate wondered if that was true. With her powers, Ororo could have done that. That would have been horribly embarrassing. "I think you'll have an easier time of it than I did." Ororo grinned and Kate blushed, but she started to relax.

They made it through the busy lobby, and up the elevator without much touching, but as they stepped out into the hall, Ororo held her hand again. Kate was glad she was able to use the key card without much trouble this time and she gave Ororo a shy smile as she let the woman into her room.

It felt awkward to stand there, and if it were her home she'd offer drinks, but she had nothing here, unless she filled up a glass of water in the bathroom. Kate set her purse down and glanced around the room, before turning to see Ororo. Ororo was smiling at her. "You do want this right?" Ororo asked and Kate blushed, her head ducking down a little.

"Yes." Kate spoke softly, and moved a little closer to Ororo, her hand reaching out tentatively to touch Ororo's shoulder as she moved closer. Ororo kissed her softly, and then slowly, more firmly.

"If you want to do anything, just do it. You aren't likely to shock me." Ororo spoke softly, and then kicked off her shoes, which ended up under the bed. It made her a bit closer in height while Kate still wore her own shoes. Kate stared at Ororo a moment, wondering if that were true; if Ororo had thought of everything. Kate wondered what she would do with such a blanket permission, and she blushed at even the rather tame thoughts in her mind.


	9. Chapter 13 & 14

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 13

By Princess Alexandria

Kate kissed Ororo again, this time trailing her kisses down her neck. The fact that Ororo was passively letting her gave Kate a bit of courage. Her hands wandered to Ororo's back, rubbing the fabric of her dressed gently. Kate's breathing was growing more ragged.

Kate wanted something more. Her shaking hands moving to the zipper of Ororo's dress, but then she paused, and pulled back to look at the woman. Kate was nervous that it was too soon, but they were here specifically to have sex. Still, Kate had reached the limit of her courage.

Ororo smiled at her and reached back to start the zipper down, the gentle sound of it lowering had Kate swallowing hard. Ororo was beautiful, could easily be a model, and she was undressing.

The dress fell to the ground, and Ororo leaned down to pick it up and lay it over the chair. Kate stared stunned at so much dark skin, toned muscles and white lacey underwear. Ororo stood in front of her only in her bra and panties and Kate tried not to stare when the woman turned towards her and looked at her again. "Relax, we aren't performing surgery here." Ororo seemed amused and Kate took a deep breath to try and do what she was told.

Kate felt like her skin was too warm and her heart beat too fast as Ororo moved closer, barely dressed.

……………………………

Ororo noticed how flushed Kate was and how wide her eyes were, and knew that Kate was nervous. Ororo stood in front of her and smiled as reassuringly as she could and Kate appeared to relax a little.

It was a little surprising how much Ororo found herself enjoying this, being the first with this woman. Kate's innocence was so honest, so pure, and Ororo wanted to be the one to guide her into this. It wasn't like Kate was a child, and she was so attractive that it wasn't like she couldn't have had this opportunity before. Ororo felt like she'd passed a very selective test in getting this far, and that was very good for her ego.

Ororo wanted to undress Kate, but worried that the woman wasn't quite ready yet. She leaned in to kiss her instead. Kate's hands were warm, nearly hot, as they slowly touched her back, before Kate moved to pull Ororo closer.

Kate's mouth felt so good on her neck, Ororo had to struggle with herself to not escalate things too fast, but she did move her mouth to capture Kate's. Ororo felt like she was a tiger on a thin leash and she struggled to not move too fast, her urge was to rip Kate out of that dress and throw her down on the bed. She knew that would frighten Kate though, so she struggled against it for now.

Ororo grasped the zipper on Kate's dress, and slowly started to lower it. Kate tensed in her arms, so Ororo leaned in to kiss her neck as she pulled the zipper down to the woman's lower back, before moving hands into the opening made to caress Kate's back. The dress hung opened, but Ororo didn't pull it off.

…………………………

Kate's heart hammered as she knew what the next step had to be. Ororo had made it clear. Kate took a half step back, and stared at Ororo again. Ororo's eyes were so gentle, so patient. Kate swallowed hard and kicked her shoes off, losing a few inches of height. Her hands were shaky as she moved them to her shoulders to start to pull the dress off.

She looked away, turned away, because she just wasn't ready to be watched, but she knew she was being watched, as she took her dress off and put it on the chair over Ororo's. Kate blushed as she took off the pantyhose, feeling awkward and foolish looking.

Once she was down to just underwear, she paused. Ororo hadn't taken hers off, and Kate wasn't eager to do more just yet. She felt a bit plain next to Ororo's lean muscular appearance. Kate had lost a bit of her dancing shape in the past few years. She missed it now.

"I knew you'd look good in blue." Ororo spoke quietly about the lingerie that Kate had just purchased that day. Kate turned to see Ororo looking at her with hunger and Kate's heart pounded harder. Ororo was so very sexual, and Kate wanted to be touched. The longer Ororo stood there just looking, the more Kate wanted to be touched.

Ororo moved so slowly and Kate found her own breathing to be a little fast as Ororo's hand moved closer, to caress her shoulder, to run a hand along the bra strap. "You are beautiful." Ororo whispered and the feel of flesh against so much of her as Ororo pulled her close to kiss her again was a shock. They were nearly naked, touching. "You don't need to be afraid." Ororo spoke reassuringly, but she pulled back.

Kate used her arms to keep Ororo close, not letting her pull away further, to pull her closer still. "I'm not." She managed, but her it wasn't completely true, she just wasn't so nervous she couldn't do this, which was progress.

………………………..

Ororo smiled at Kate's obvious lie, and slowly walked backwards, a subtle step at a time as Kate kissed her. The feel of sheets and the clunk of contact told her she'd back into the bed. Ororo looped her arms behind Kate's head and let herself fall backwards.

"Oof." Ororo winced a little as Kate accidently used Ororo's stomach to hold herself up, as she fell on top of Ororo. The plan had a few holes in it apparently. Ororo saw Kate's expression and the guilt, and quickly flipped the woman over so that Ororo stared down at her. "You looked more graceful on the dance floor." Ororo grinned at Kate, until Kate realized she was being teased. When Kate pretended to glare up at her Ororo laughed. Kate looked like a miffed kitten.

"And you looked less clumsy." Kate spoke with a firm tone, but her lips were clearly fighting a smile.

"I wasn't clumsy, I fell just where I wanted to." Ororo pointed out they were on the bed, then she gave Kate her wicked smile. She liked how Kate was starting to relax.

Kate gasped as Ororo leaned down into her, to kiss her. Ororo ran her hand through Kate's hair, partly to keep her still a moment, but it seemed to spark something in Kate, because then Kate was touching her hair. Ororo felt fingers thread through her hair.

……………………………

Kate's eyes widened as she ran her hands through Ororo's hair, the feel of it was amazing, and the color was so very different. Her hands moved to caress it away from Ororo's face, but her eyes stayed with the contrast between Ororo's skin and her hair. This was part of Ororo's mutation, and Kate smiled a little thinking of that. It looked great on her. Kate gripped the hair gently, tucking it back behind ears, trying to imagine it as a Mohawk and unable to.

"Did you want me to leave my hair and you alone?" Ororo spoke and Kate stopped her hands, blushing, as she took in the amusement in the woman's face. "Here I am, nearly naked and you play with my hair?" Ororo laughed and Kate blushed harder, trying to look away, but with Ororo right above her that didn't work.

"I'm sorry." Kate bit her lower lip, as she wondered how weird that was.

"No, it's okay." Ororo leaned down and pulled her long white hair off to the side, so it hung down between them, tickling Kate's face with it. Kate pushed it back around Ororo's shoulder when Ororo focused on tickling Kate's nose with it.

"Okay, it's not so magical anymore." Kate teased as she patted it back into place. Still her hand caressed the white hair another two times before she laid back and just stared up at a smirking Ororo. Kate gave a weak smile.

"Magical?" Ororo teased and Kate found herself blushing again. She was currently hating how easy it was to make her skin redden like this. "I think the Starbuck's minion has a hair fetish."

"Huh? What?" Kate's voice rose as her eyes widened.

Ororo leaned in, whispering into her ear, and breathing lightly on Kate's ear as she did it. "Either it's a hair fetish or a mutant fetish. Which is it?"

…………………………

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 14

By Princess Alexandria

Ororo watched Kate starting to try and think of a response. It was cute how Kate's expression showed how she didn't like the word fetish at all.

"You just have really beautiful hair." Kate spoke, her voice shy.

Ororo leaned down and nuzzled Kate's neck, before whispering to her. "Do you imagine me doing anything in particular with it? Perhaps running along your body, rubbing it against your skin?" Ororo grinned wickedly into the side of Kate's face as she moved her hair with her hand, to caress it over Kate's other cheek.

Ororo's hair was more than long enough to play with it this way, and she enjoyed the way Kate's face turned so very red at her words. "Or," Ororo moved her head to stare down into Kate's face, and her own heart pounded to a strong steady beat as she stared down into such obvious innocence. Kate's eyes were so wide, and Ororo shifted her leg, making Kate's eyes wider, "Would you prefer it if my thigh rubbed against you?"

…………………………

Kate stopped breathing as she felt Ororo's thigh press her between her legs. After a moment of shock she took in a gasped breath as the pressure increased. Kate's body froze as the pressure moved left and then right. "Is this good?" Ororo whispered and Kate whimpered and arched into the contact.

Ororo stared down at her and Kate found herself shaking. "Teach me?" Kate whispered, embarrassed that she didn't already know this. She was afraid that she'd be no good at it and with a woman like Ororo that would be a crime.

"You already know this." Ororo's voice was purely seductive. "You just need to realize that." The woman above her leaned down and kissed Kate. Kate felt the bed shift as Ororo's arms rested on either side of Kate's head. "It's instinct, you know what feels good. I'm not so different from you that it would be a mystery." Ororo spoke as her body shifted back, and Kate found herself staring up at Ororo as Ororo kneeled on the bed.

Hands reached for the front clasp of her bra and Kate's back arched as warm hands cupped her breasts. Her eyes closed as she was caressed.

It felt better than her fantasies ever got, as a mouth closed over her nipple. Kate's breathing was loud enough to fill the room, she was sure of it. The thigh between her legs was making her shake.

Her hands moved to thread fingers through white hair, and her eyes went from tightly closed to wide opened as her hand followed Ororo down. Ororo gently bit at Kate's stomach and hands grasped at the waist of her underwear, pulling down. "Oh my god." Kate gasped out as she realized what was about to happen. Her hands slid out of Ororo's hair as Ororo went lower still.

………………….

Ororo ran her hand back up, along Kate's leg after having tossed the woman's underwear to the floor. She stared up at flushed skin and Kate's expression, seeming both scared and eager. It was a rather powerful feeling and Ororo grinned at the virgin laid before her, nearly naked, as the bra was hanging uselessly off of her breasts, but still the straps held it to her shoulders.

The way Kate's body shook as Ororo's fingers gently caressed her upper thigh, the slight moan of anticipation, all had Ororo feeling very honored to be here for this deflowering. She leaned down slowly, and with the first touch of her mouth to Kate's body, she had to grip Kate's hips to control her. Kate was gasping, and Ororo drank in her flavor as if it were a religious offering to her.

Kate's body rained for her and Ororo teased Kate's flesh until Kate's struggled were only contained by Ororo's strength. Kate's hands moved suddenly to thread her fingers in Ororo's hair and Ororo felt the tensing in Kate's thighs.

"Oh God, Ororo!" Kate gasped out loudly as her hips started to thrust as much as they could with Ororo in the way. Ororo smiled in victory as Kate's words descended into something that sounded roughly like ro, ro, ro.

When Kate's body seemed to collapse into the bed Ororo stopped and moved up, to hover over the woman. Kate smiled just a little, looking a bit too exhausted for Ororo's plans. Ororo was just about to give up on her long night plans, when Kate shifted, and Ororo was pulled down into a kiss.

"Oh my god." Kate whispered in her ear and Ororo felt her body respond to the satisfied tone in her voice.

"Usually people call me a goddess." Ororo spoke, teasingly.

"You are." Kate's reverence made Ororo feel strangely exposed, and pleased. Kate moving to roll over so Ororo was under her impressed Ororo enough to allow it.

When Kate just stared down at her a moment, Ororo tried to sound reassuring. "You'll do fine. Just, do something."

……………………….

Kate tossed the bra barely off, paying no attention to where it ended up. Her eyes traveled to the one still on Ororo, looking for the clasp and wondering if her shaking hands an pounding heart would make it hard to take off. Ororo sat up partly and reached back, unfastening the bra herself.

As the white of the bra moved, Kate's eyes followed it. It flew through the air toward the chair but didn't make it. Kate slowly looked back as Ororo laid back down, to see breasts. Kate blinked and Ororo laughed softly, making Kate blush.

Grasping whatever threads of courage Kate could, she leaned down and Ororo stopped laughing as Kate kissed her breasts, and gently suckled. She was surprised how good it felt to do that, she knew it felt good to have it done, but this was wonderful too.

The soft pattering of rain on the window didn't register to her right away as Kate worked her kissed down Ororo's body, or as Ororo lifted her hips up so that Kate could remove her underwear. The scent of the woman with her drew all her attention, the soft moans filled her ears, but when thunder shook the windows and Ororo's hands held her head by her hair in place, Kate noticed it. She knew better than to stop, and the rain went from a soft spring breeze to a fall torrential rainfall as Ororo let Kate know that instinct worked.

"We aren't done yet." Ororo spoke in a breathy voice and Kate was pulled back up the woman's body by very strong arms. "Not by a half."


	10. Chapter 15 & 16

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 15

By Princess Alexandria

Ororo woke up with the dawn, even though she had only been sleeping three hours. It was her connection to nature that did that to her. Rolling over she looked at Kate's sleeping face, and the sheets pooled just low enough to show her breasts.

Glancing out at the sunny morning, Ororo smiled. It had been a while since she'd lost control of her powers like that during sex, but Kate in her innocence had managed to make Ororo rain over the city.

It was tempting to wake Kate up, but Ororo moved closer to her, spooning her as Kate rolled onto her side in her sleep. Ororo sighed as she held the woman close, thinking how rare it was for her to be able to hold someone like this. When she dated men, she didn't do this.

With some nearly meditative breaths, Ororo slowly managed to fall asleep again.

………………………

The warmth under her arm started to pull at her attention, and Kate opened he eyes. Her breathing stopped suddenly as the dark skin of her lover came into focus. It hadn't been a dream. Kate's eyes widened for a moment, and then slowly she smiled. She wasn't a virgin anymore, and the night had been full of firsts for her. Wonderful firsts.

The pull of her bladder ruined the moment, and Kate grimaced as she realized she'd have to roll out of bed. With Ororo in it, leaving it didn't really appeal to her. Kate's eyes caressed the woman, and her eyes traveled back to that white hair. Kate sighed and quietly as possible slipped from bed.

She even slowly closed the bathroom door, hoping that Ororo would sleep past it. Kate wasn't sure why she was working so hard to not wake Ororo, but it seemed like the right thing to do. She cringed at the noise flushing filled the quiet room with, and grimaced as she turned on the sink to wash her hands. She washed her fast, and as she did it she could smell Ororo on her.

Images of how Ororo's scent came to be over so much of Kate's body had her smiling softly. A strange sense of satisfaction came back to her as Kate remembered the downpour of rain the night before, knowing in a way she'd caused that. Kate had made it rain, through Ororo.

Kate stared at her reflection, knowing it was foolish, but she couldn't see a difference in her features. She could see her hair was more of a mess than she'd ever seen it before. That had Kate pulling out her hair brush to try and tame it before Ororo saw her. That led to brushing her teeth, and then Kate glanced at the shower, but there was a beautiful woman in her bed. Kate slipped back out of the bathroom instead.

She stood staring at the bed, and the woman in it. There was a woman in her bed. For a moment Kate felt like a teenager, excited by the fact like one might be, but she pushed that away. Still, the smile remained. Going to New York, forcing herself to have the courage to ask Ororo out, those had been the best decisions she'd made in a long time.

As she got closer to the bed the way white hair spread over the pillow drew her eyes and Kate stood there, next to the bed watching Ororo breath softly, and the hair. The questions from the night before had her wondering why white hair on a young beautiful woman made her feel like it did. She liked how it wasn't normal, and Ororo's hair was beautiful, but it was the color that fascinated Kate.

She sighed as she considered why she'd also been so eager to see the musical Wicked, and it was the sexy green skin in the poster, along with the wicked smile. Kate watched Ororo breath, and was a little uncomfortable with her answer to the question Ororo had asked the night before, when she realized Kate was so attracted to her hair.

She managed to slip into bed without causing too much motion, and she moved to lay on her side. Kate stared down at Ororo, watching her sleep, amazed at how beautiful she was even after the night they'd had. Ororo's hair was a bit wild, but not as untamed as Kate's had been.

Slowly, carefully, Kate reached out to caress the white hair on the pillow. This was her natural color, as the hair lower had also been pure white. It was so amazing next to dark skin, really amazing. Kate slowly caressed the hair back out of Ororo's face, with her fingers trying to tame it a bit for the sleeping woman. Wanting to touch it without having an audience, and wasn't that odd?

………………………

Ororo woke up, this time not opening her eyes. It took effort to not smile as she felt fingers slowly weaving through her hair. Ororo stayed still, and noticed how slowly Kate played with her hair, as if trying not to wake her, but clearly wanting to touch. The woman never had answered if it was a hair fetish or if she was just fascinated by the obvious mutant trait.

Ororo moved her head to the side and kissed the wrist of the hand pulling away. She opened her eyes and smirked at the blushing brunette in the bed with her. "So what type of fetish is that anyway?" Ororo teased.

Kate leaned over her to kiss Ororo, rather than answer. Ororo let the question fade away as she pulled Kate more tightly to her for a more passionate kiss.

They didn't get out of bed until over an hour later. Ororo wouldn't have done that, if it weren't for the grumbling sounds that Kate's stomach gave off, or Ororo's need for the bathroom. Still, as Ororo stood up to head into that bathroom, she couldn't resist kissing Kate again. "I'm going to shower." Ororo told Kate, taking the first shower, so that Kate could lounge in bed a little longer. The shower here was sadly not big enough for two, or Ororo would teach Kate how to make love standing up.

Ororo dressed in the clothes she'd bought the day before, jeans and a white shirt that she remembered Kate liked on her. Kate seemed to like her in white. Ororo smiled a little wickedly into the mirror as she left the top few buttons undone, revealing some cleavage.

Kate's eyes told her she looked good as Ororo slipped back out into the main room. "Your turn." Was all she said, but she did pull Kate into a kiss as the woman moved to go into the bathroom for her shower. As the door closed behind Kate a moment later Ororo smiled at the memory that Kate had walked past her naked, and hadn't been nervous.

Ororo moved through the room, finding the shoes she'd worn the night before, and folding her dress as well. She set then in her shopping bags from yesterday and put on the shoes she'd arrived at Kate's the day before in, which went better with jeans. She found her purse, which had fallen to the floor at some point, and put the few items that had fallen out back into it.

Her phone had spent the night next to the leg of the dresser and as Ororo picked it up she sighed at the messages on it. There were two from Jean, and one from Betsy, both of them were probably eager to hear how the night went if they were bothering her so early for a report. Well, Ororo glanced at the clock on her phone, it wasn't all that early now, but the first call had been at seven. Now it was almost lunch time.

The sound of the shower started and Ororo thought it best to make the call now. She just had to figure out which call to return, because she knew that in this case she'd only need to talk to one of them. The other would force a report out of the one that was called.

"Well, this is certainly late." Jean's voice was teasing, not even saying hello.

"It might be later still." Ororo smiled and moved toward the window. She preferred being able to see the sky.

"How late?" Jean continued to tease and Ororo sighed in mock exasperation.

"I'm not sure, I'm going to aim for tomorrow." Ororo's naughty tone eased into a serious one as she continued to speak. "She's leaving tomorrow and I don't want to leave her alone on her last day." Ororo smiled as she tried to make light of that comment. "Besides, she might decide to wander into the middle of another battle if I'm not around to keep her entertained."

"I didn't realize she was leaving so soon." Jean's voice was softer, the teasing gone as well. "How are you feeling about that?" Jean's focus on that told Ororo that Sage had already let it slip that Kate had been in the middle of a battle, because Jean didn't ask about that. That would have been easier to answer.

"Kate is a lot of fun, and I like her." Ororo partly answered before pausing to consider the rest of her response. "If she'd actually lived here, I could see myself dating her more long term, but that's not the case."

"Well, that is a shame." Jean paused, "But you do know Betsy and I were going to be in town tonight for shopping. Perhaps we could meet up for dinner?"

Ororo doubted that Betsy knew she had plans with Jean at this moment, but she didn't think Jean would do anything too embarrassing if they met Kate. "I'll check with Kate, but I think it'll probably be okay."

"Great, and maybe we can get your dancing queen out on a dance floor. I have to see her dance with something other than flying cars." Jean's voice was amused sounding.

"You saw that did you?" Ororo sighed, considering that Kate didn't know she'd been on tv doing that. Perhaps she should tell Kate before Betsy or Jean asked about it. "I never thought Sage was a gossip, like the rest of you."

"I found her watching the footage." Jean explained how she'd gotten around Sage to find out.

Kate came back out of the bathroom shortly after Ororo hung up, having made tentative plans she'd run past Kate during lunch. Kate's face held a shy smile again, one that Ororo couldn't resist moving closer to kiss away.

…………………..

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 16

By Princess Alexandria

"My friends are horrible gossips. Don't feel like you have to answer every question they ask." Ororo told her with a grin as the taxi made its way to the restaurant. Kate felt a bit nervous to be meeting Ororo's friends, sure she'd do something stupid. She also ached to ask about these friends mutations, to know what she was getting into, but was that something you could ask? Would asking make her sound bigoted, like she only wanted to be around certain types of mutants? Kate was just worried she'd say something offensive and not know. She didn't want to embarrass herself and definitely didn't want to embarrass Ororo.

Kate was over worrying, she knew that. She tended to do that all the time. This time she made a real effort to relax as they stepped out of the taxi.

Ororo held the door opened for her and Kate smiled at her as she walked inside. Her eyes traveled around the restaurant as Ororo came in, and she found her eyes widening as she saw a woman with lavender hair. She turned to whisper to Ororo, but her date for the day was looking in that direction and smiling, so clearly those were the women they were meeting.

As Ororo walked with Kate toward the table, Kate noticed the fire red hair of the other woman. What was it with mutant women and hair, she wondered as they moved closer and the redhead 

looked over at them. Chances were good both women hadn't dyed their hair, and Kate found herself looking at the lavender hair again, wondering if it really was natural. Ororo's hair was natural. The red head, while vividly red, was still within human norm for color, but lavender was far beyond it. Even white hair happened with humans, just rarely ever someone so young.

Ororo's hair was still magnificent, Kate smiled as the lavender haired woman turned to them as the redhead said something. Lavender hair was Asian.

"Hello Ororo." The redhead smiled and Kate fought to remember her name, because Ororo had told her both the names of their dinner companions. Redhead must be Jean.

"Hello Jean," Ororo nodded at the redhead, which let Kate know she'd remembered that right. "Betsy." The other woman was identified. "This is Kate." Ororo introduced her.

"Hello." Kate smiled shyly at the women, noticing how she was being stared at, most likely critiqued. She hoped she wasn't found as inadequate as she'd felt, and still feels, seeing how attractive these two were as well. Ororo was surrounded by beauty on a regular basis and still went out with Kate. Kate didn't know what to think about that, but it was starting to sink it that maybe she wasn't completely unarmed in the competition.

"Well, what have you guys been up to today?" Betsy spoke, and her accent was clearly English, her tone clearly wicked. Kate blushed in response, thinking of what they'd spend the lion's share of the day doing.

"At least she remembered to feed you." Jean teased and Kate's eyes widened as she sat down, feeling rather embarrassed. Jean had sounded a bit too knowledgeable about what they'd done that day. The wink Kate got just as she thought that had her eyes widening.

"If you ladies, and I use that term loosely, could refrain from interrogating my date until we've at least orders I'd appreciate it." Ororo spoke firmly, but there was a hint of a smile, and that actually helped Kate relax. This was apparently normal for them?

Kate was still staring at Jean, her eyes a little wide. That winking meant something, and knowing she was a mutant was now an all consuming thought. Kate smiled at Betsy as the woman handed her a menu. The waiter was there quickly as well, asking for drink orders.

Ororo glanced at Kate over the menu and Kate just nodded, giving the woman the choice. Kate didn't know her wines well enough to pick one, but Ororo hadn't steered her wrong yet. Kate almost wanted to ask for a bottle instead of the glass Ororo was ordering her, feeling the need for even fake courage, but then she might say something stupid, like asking Betsy if she had lavender hair elsewhere like Ororo had white hair.

"We've already ordered appetizers, so they should be here soon," Jean spoke up as the waiter walked away, but Kate noticed the redhead was grinning like Kate had done something amusing, "but we were waiting for you two before ordering dinner."

They ordered when the wine came, and then Kate found herself the center of Betsy's attention. "I saw you dodge that car, that was skillful."

Kate really didn't know how to respond. She hadn't been thrilled it was on TV, when Ororo told her that. "Thank you." She muttered.

"What martial arts did you train in?" Betsy continued and Kate noticed that Ororo looked interested.

"I didn't really, I just did enough to be able to dance better. I learned tai chi, and still do that daily, well normally." Kate sighed. "Not this week."

"Dance?" Jean turned one word into a question.

Kate smiled at a memory. "In college the dance students were in a play, doing mock battles. I learned to duck and roll dramatically. I dodged the car like I had bent out of the way of a staff in the show. We'd practiced it so much I didn't even think that there had to be better ways to avoid getting hit."

"That's amazing." Ororo smiled at her. "What were you playing?"

"An amazon." Kate gave a half grin at the role. "It was ridiculous really, it was a play adaption of Xena warrior princess. It didn't get great reviews, but they did like our dancing. I think the dancers were the only ones not to be barbequed by the critics."

"So you're not a warrior, you just play one on the stage." Betsy had a teasing small smile and shook her head. "I knew dance was important to many styles of martial arts, but I'd never seen someone use dance as one."

"I was rather impressed that you ran out to drag Spiderman to safety." Jean spoke and Kate's face was turning more red with every comment about that night.

"He'd saved me; it seemed like the thing to do." Kate muttered, before taking a large sip of her wine. She'd almost died, and he'd saved her. She had to go out there, it wasn't impressive, and it would have been shameful if she hadn't.

"Yes, and how often do we see that?" Jean sounded like she was almost scoffing Kate's comment. "People don't do that often, most people just run. You took a more heroic stance."

Kate looked over at Ororo, who seemed to catch on that Kate didn't consider herself heroic, and didn't want to be called that.

…………………………..

Ororo could see that Kate felt out of her element quickly. They were all used to talking about the battles they ended up in the middle of, so no one thought anything about bringing it up now, but Kate was new to this. Also Kate had made it clear to Ororo earlier that she didn't think it was 

heroic, because it was just necessary. In that one comment Kate reminded Ororo more of herself and the other Xmen than she'd ever expected from the woman. It made her a bit more proud of her, but she understood the desire to not dwell on something.

"As for your earlier question Jean, I took Kate out to see the statue of liberty." Ororo interrupted the current discussion and mentally she added just for Jean "Kate isn't comfortable talking about that night. She sees what she did as nothing all that special, she thinks anyone would have done it, and seems to feel like a fraud if you say she's done anything remarkable."

Jean's response was equally silent as she used her telepathy. "I like her Ororo. She seems really sweet and she's a little too humble." Out loud Jean said. "Well, it isn't a trip to New York without dropping by the statue. What did you think of it Kate?"

Kate seemed to relax, and she smiled that small little half smile of hers. "It was impressive, but I had no idea it wasn't the only one. I was shocked to find out there was another in Paris." Kate's expression became more serious. "And we don't really mean those words on it. Not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Betsy asked.

"Well, we have a fence between us and Mexico, we have a quota of which people we'll accept." Kate looked at Ororo a little hesitantly. "We have a strict no mutants policy." Her words were quieter and Ororo was sure that Kate appeared nervous about saying that. It made it very clear to Ororo that Kate felt very much like the only human at the mutants table, and wasn't sure how well the others would take her even bringing things like this up.

"Yes, well I did find that last one out when I moved to the country." Betsy spoke just as quietly. "But a few well placed 'suggestions' got around it quite well."

"The Professor made 'suggestions' for me as well." Ororo spoke up, and when Kate looked confused. "Telepathic suggestions." She added to make it clearer. "The government is antimutant, but they are also against spending money on more reliable methods of screening."

"So telepaths can get around it?" Kate asked, and there was a slight frown on her face that Ororo noticed had Betsy frowning a little as well. Ororo made a small motion with her hand toward Betsy, who was no longer a telepath, to wait for the rest of the thought. Kate only appeared to be bigoted if you didn't give her time to finish her thoughts. "Well that's not fair." Ororo watched Betsy shifting in her seat. "What about the others? So if you don't have a telepathic friend you're just out of luck?" Ororo smiled subtly at Betsy, having been vindicated.

"Those of us who have the power do what we can to help." Jean offered up, a small smile on her lips. Jean had known what was going on and she smirked just a little at Ororo. "And many mutants aren't obvious mutants. The test for mutancy is so expensive that not everyone has to take them."

"I believe my hair color alerted them." Ororo added as Kate gave her a questioning look. Ororo grinned a little wickedly, "My mutant hair." Kate blushed.

"It was my hair as well." Betsy added and Ororo was amused to see Kate still blushing.

"Yes, Betsy's hair color is now natural." Jean spoke and Betsy gave her a curious look, but Ororo caught on faster. Kate had been wondering.

"So, you're a telepath?" Kate asked after a moment and Jean nodded. Ororo felt some sympathy as Kate blushed and looked away. Ororo was willing to bet Kate had been having some rather interesting thoughts, most likely about hair from the comment Jean made.

The appetizers arrived, ending that conversation as they all took some. Ororo shifted her leg to rest against Kate's, and this time instead of clearly arousing her, it seemed to comfort her. That was good, because that was the goal this time.

"We were surprised that Ororo was dating at all, she tends to just spend her free time in her gardens." Betsy smiled at Kate and Ororo blushed faintly. "We almost expected you to be a supervillian, because they all tend to be attracted to her."

Kate glanced at her and there was something soft in her eyes. "I imagine a lot more than supervillians are attracted to Ororo." Ororo gave her date a grateful smile, and then Betsy got a glare.

After that dinner descended into too much teasing for Ororo's taste, but Kate took it all so well it made Ororo wish they could all go out like this more often. When the proposal of dancing came up, Ororo was a bit surprised that Kate declined, saying they had plans.

"I think they are bedroom plans Ororo." Jean sent mentally, answering the question Ororo didn't ask in front of them and reading Kate's mind. "The poor virgin is eager to get you alone again."

"She's not a virgin anymore Jean." Ororo smirked as she glanced at the redhead, who just turned to wish Kate a good evening.

"Yes, well after watching us 'pick on you' Kate wants to do some unspeakable things to you." Jean teased telepathically.

"Please stop reading Kate's mind." Ororo sent back, but she was intrigued by the idea of unspeakable things. They left Betsy and Jean to go dancing on their own, and started to walk in the other direction. Ororo made sure to take Kate's hand and watched how Kate smiled at her when she did it. Kate had handled dinner rather well, Ororo knew her friends were challenging to say the least.

…………………


	11. Chapter 17

21 Things I Want In a Lover

Chapter 17

By Princess Alexandria

Kate rolled onto the bed, her heart pounding and her breath was hard to catch. She smiled as Ororo leaned over her, seeming to have a bit of trouble catching her breath as well. "I feel guilty, we aren't even trying to show you New York now." Ororo grinned.

"I don't mind." Kate laughed just a little. "I like waking up like this."

"Yes, well," Ororo glanced outside and grimaced. "You are entirely too pleased with yourself." Kate just grinned, listening to the rain starting to calm outside. The forecast was for sun.

Kate glanced at the clock and some of her good mood faded. It was going to be time to check out soon. She didn't like thinking about that. She'd expected to enjoy the trip for about half of the time and be more than eager to go home, because she'd expected to be alone. Now she wished she'd asked for two weeks off.

"What time is your flight?" Ororo asked, and her voice didn't sound all that happy about it either. Kate looked over at the woman, and moved to caress a bit of hair that had decided to try and go straight up but partially failed. Ororo smiled at that.

"I should leave for the airport by one." Kate sighed, her hand still caressing white hair. Ororo leaned over her and ran her hair over Kate's breasts.

Kate did math in her head quickly, and thought she could probably wait another half hour before packing.

The hotel was nice, and didn't penalize her for checking out a half hour late. She checked her bags, and Ororo's shopping bags in, before following Ororo out to have lunch.

…………………….

Ororo sat across from Kate in the booth, and grinned at her, while moving her foot to rest on the booth Kate was sitting on, resting it against Kate's leg. There was a definite depressive feel to lunch and Ororo was going to try and push them past it. It wasn't like she wanted Kate's vacation to end either, but she didn't want to lose their last hour to this feeling.

When Kate gave her a look and tried to rest her own leg on the booth Ororo was on, Ororo had to laugh. Kate's leg didn't fully reach. "Feeling short Amazon?" Ororo teased and Kate finally smiled. She hadn't smiled since checking her luggage at the hotel.

"I was Amazon #3, get it right." Kate grinned and took a sip of the water they'd been given when they sat down. Their menus still sat on the table, waiting for them to order.

The waiter interrupted them, but Ororo made sure to lightly kick Kate as she ordered. It made her smile as Ororo pretended to try and distract her. Once they were alone again Ororo resisted the urge to ask Kate about what she was planning to do for the rest of her week, or about her flight or how she was getting home.

Ororo paid the bill once they were done, and took Kate's hand as they got up to leave. Kate gripped her's a little more tightly than normal and Ororo smiled, understanding. Kate held her hand all the way back to the hotel.

………………………..

It was time to go. Kate stood in the hotel lobby, her bags around her, as she watched Ororo set her shopping bags over her own arm. Ororo was amazing and Kate had no idea how to say goodbye. She felt a need to thank Ororo for everything, but she couldn't even identify what everything was. It was more than sex, more than dates, more than friendship.

"I'll get you a cab." Ororo spoke softly, picking up one piece of luggage and waiting for Kate to grab the other.

"Ororo." Kate spoke, before they stepped outside. Ororo turned to her and Kate just stared into Ororo's eyes. Ororo had blue eyes, pretty eyes. "I'm glad you sat next to me on the plane." Kate spoke softly, moving closer. Her bag set down on the floor as she reached up to caress Ororo's hair, run the back of her fingers along her neck.

"So am I." Ororo leaned down to kiss her, and Kate didn't care that they were standing in front of the hotel Starbucks.

It was awkward and a bit painful to stand there, wondering what she was supposed to do. She didn't want to leave the hotel, but she had to. Ororo glanced at the bag Kate had been carrying and Kate took it up again.

"I know you've never been in this position before." Ororo smiled softly. "Being your first, I'll tell you what to do. Remember me fondly, and I'll do the same for you."

"That's going to be easy." Kate smiled, and took a deep breath as they stepped outside. She felt a bit out of sorts, almost disconnected. It felt like a year's worth of Sundays, the day before all the fun of the weekend was over. It was a good day of the week, but it always felt like an ending of something good, which had forever tainted Sunday for Kate.

Ororo moved to the curb and held her hand out. Kate hated how easily she caught her cabs at that moment, as a yellow taxi stopped and a man got out to open the trunk. Ororo turned to her and Kate gripped her hand tightly, as the taxi driver loaded up her bags.

"Thank you." It felt inadequate, but Kate spoke it slowly, her eyes staying on Ororo. Ororo smiled.

"My pleasure." The beautiful woman spoke in her more seductive tone and Kate couldn't help blushing. It made Ororo laugh softly. "You have a nice flight." Kate held Ororo tightly as they kissed, and she barely was able to look away to get into the cab.

"I need to go to the airport." Kate spoke softly to him, forcing herself to look at him. He nodded, and as they drove off, Kate looked back to see Ororo starting to walk away.

The drove past the place Kate and Ororo had caught the subway a few times, and they drove past the restaurant they'd eaten at. Kate smiled softly, thinking about how Ororo was always going to be a part of New York to her.

Her smile stayed as she considered how great her trip had been, and how she'd have to thank her brother for letting her down again. He'd never understand how grateful she was for that now. Even if she told him, she couldn't do Ororo justice in the retelling.

Kate had been with a goddess.

…………………

The end


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